


I Wanna Be A Cowboy Baby

by Possum_Down



Category: The Owl House (Cartoon)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Farm/Ranch, Alternate Universe - Human, Bisexual Disaster Luz Noceda, Country AU, Diners, Eventual Amity Blight/Luz Noceda, F/F, FFA AU, Flirty Amity Blight, My First Fanfic, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Slow Burn, Small Towns, barnowl au, is that a thing? it is now
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-10-07
Updated: 2021-02-08
Packaged: 2021-03-08 01:53:46
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 10
Words: 29,900
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26877736
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Possum_Down/pseuds/Possum_Down
Summary: When Luz and her mom end up inheriting property out in the country, she thought it would be a chance to start over. She didn't expect that some country folk wouldn't take too kindly to a city-slicker moving onto the old property locally known as the Olw Farm.Country AU based on onionringz art and imamwolf's ideas on Tumblr, go check them out!
Relationships: Amity Blight/Luz Noceda
Comments: 119
Kudos: 568
Collections: Barnowl AU





	1. Moving Day

**Author's Note:**

> Like I said in the summary, based on onionringz art and imamwolfs ideas on tumblr! Go check them out! The art is more lumity based than this fic will be though.
> 
> This is my first time writing fanfiction of any sort, and my first time doing longterm writing that wasn't an RP so. Its gonna be a learning experience. Updates might slow down if I lose interest, but I'm gonna try and complete this fic!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> 2/28/2021- Hey y'all, just doing a quick update for this and the next couple chapters! Nothing drastic has been changed, I just fixed a few grammatical errors, but most importantly, I removed and changed every use of the "the latina" from the fic. I originally used it cause I saw other people using it in fics, but I now realize that its dehumanizing. I stopped using after a few chapters, but I realize now that I need to fix my mistakes. No one has really called me out on this, but I still feel that it is necessary to do. If anyone has been hurt or made uncomfortable by my fic, I am truly sorry, that wasn't my intention. I hope that you will able to accept my apology, and I promise to try and avoid stuff like this in the future.
> 
> If anyone is confused on why "the latina" is dehumanizing, I encourage you to read [this](https://the-lone-witch-and-secret-room.tumblr.com/post/644212524651249664/stop-doing-this-yes-its-done-in-many-fics) post. It explains it well in a simple manner.

When Luz’s day had started, she hadn’t expected her world would be changing by sundown, and the normal routine that filled her life to be broken.

It had started as most days in the 17 year olds life had; Her alarm had gone off at 6:30, waking Luz up, and the honks from the morning traffic from the street outside kept her from rolling over and getting an extra five minutes. She groggily got up, got dressed, brushed her teeth. Normal routine. Go out into the kitchen to find her mother already up, sifting through their mail as she drank her second cup of coffee. Normal routine.

“Buenos días, mija,” Camila said, looking up from the pile of letters and bills to watch her daughter sleepily make a bowl of cereal. “How did you sleep?”

“Mmmph.”

“I assume that means well. Ready for school?”

Luz looked up from her breakfast at her mother, her gaze focusing for the first time that morning as she frowned at the question. Normal routine for any time school was brought up, the word always managing to dampen the girls mood.

“Physically? Yes. Mentally? Never.” She shoved another spoonful of cereal into her mouth as her mother sighed at her dramatics.

“Just try not to get into trouble today, mija. The principal called and told me about the snake you had frightened the other girls with yesterday.”

“I didn’t mean to do that, mami. Gildersnake was for a class assignment!”

“Luz.”

A sigh. “Ok, mami.”

Camila gave Luz a soft smile, before returning to looking at the papers in front of her. Luz gave another sigh, poking the contents of her bowl with her spoon.

Normal routine.

After breakfast, Luz grabbed her bag and left her apartment, walking the two blocks to her school, ignoring the looks other students walking past gave her. She was reluctant to enter the building when she finally arrived, the teen standing still as the crowds of students swarmed around her. She only moved after one of her ruder classmates shoved her, causing her to stumble. The other kids laughed at the event, causing Luz to flush in embarrassment as she quickly headed inside. The bullying continued like that throughout the whole day, and she tried sitting by herself in her classes so she couldn’t hear the whispers about her.

“Did you hear what she did yesterday?”

“It's not like that's the weirdest thing she’s done this year.”

“I think she was trying to mimic that weird baby book she always reads.”

“What a  **freak.** ”

Normal routine.

Only when Luz returned to her apartment did the normal routine shift. As the teen unlocked the door, hoping to go lie down and take a nap after such a rough day. Along with being shoved that morning, she had also been laughed at, had an erasure thrown at her in class, and her lunch had been hit out of her hands in the cafeteria. It had been tiring to deal with, to say the least.

But instead of an empty apartment, she found her mother sitting in the same spot she had been in that morning.

“Mami?  Por qué estás aquí? I thought you had work today?” Luz dropped her bag at the door, walking over to find the table strewn with papers, and Camila’s phone seemingly slapped down in front of her. The tired mother lifted her head from her hands as her daughter came over, giving her a small smile.

“Hey,Luz. How was school?”

Luz shrugged, not willing to worry her mother by telling her about the bullying she received that day. Besides, whatever her mother was doing seemed more interesting, especially since she had avoided her question. “Fine. But what’s all this?”

“It’s….” Camila began, looking down at the papers on the table. She pursed her lips, trying to tidy the papers as she thought of what to say. “Do you remember anything about your grandmother?”

“Grandmother?”

“On your father's side? She lived in the midwest, on a farm? We visited her farm once when you were little.”

Luz shook her head, trying to remember the trip her mother recounted. The teen hadn’t thought about the family on her father's side in many years, not when she had school and city life to worry about. She couldn’t even remember her father, really, but it wasn’t a topic she really thought about. “What about her?”

Camila sighed. “Well, it seems like she… died recently.”

“...Oh.”

“Yeah. Are you ok?”

“...I think so? I can’t really remember her. Are you ok?”

Another sigh. “Yeah, mija. Me and Linda hadn’t talked in years. But it seems she still cared for us.” Camila picked up one of the papers, motioning for her daughter to come closer. Luz walked to the table, looking down at the paper in her mother's hands. A quick glance revealed it to be… a will?

“This came in the mail this morning. She left us her entire property. House and all.”

“OH. Really?” Luz snatched the paper from her mother's hands, looking much closer at the writing. It seems her mother's words were true, her grandmother leaving seemingly everything to the two. “Is it like a farm? Are we going to pull a Stardew Valley and move to the country? Am I gonna get a HORSE?”

“Luz! Devuélveme eso! I’m not buying you a horse!”

“But are we moving to the country?”

“I… I wanted to talk with you about it. I know you have a difficult time in school, but this city is your home, and I didn’t want to rush such an important….”

Luz immediately slapped her hands down on the table, startling her mother. The teen leaned forward, smiling for the first time that day. “Yes! Let’s go!”

Camila looked at her daughter with a confused look, jaw almost hanging open at her daughter's sudden enthusiasm. “Were not moving right now, Luz. We haven’t visited that house in years, I don’t even know if it's livable…” The mother stopped once again, however, when Luz’s face fell, and the joy started to drain out of her eyes. She hadn’t seen her daughter that excited in a long time, and watching it immediately fall off her face tugged at her heart. Camila sighed, pinching the bridge of her nose. She was going to regret this.

“We can leave in two weeks.”

Luz stuck her head out of the window of the moving van, letting the country air push her hair back against her face. The surrounding fields whipped by as the mother and daughter duo drove down the old road, the smell of hay and animals filling the small cab. They had passed a sign about ten minutes ago that said WELCOME TO BONESBOROUGH, and as the teen pulled her head back into the car, she could feel that they had almost arrived at their destination.

“Now, your grandmothers will only had one stipulation,” Camila said, finally pulling off the main road as the GPS directed them onto a gravel path. “Apparently, she had a tenant staying in one of the rooms of the house, and she wanted to make sure she wasn’t kicked out if we moved in. Since I don’t know the first thing about this town or Lindas property, I thought it couldn’t hurt to allow her to stay. Are you alright with that, mija?

“Yea, that's cool. What's her name?”

“Edalyn Clawthorne. I gave her a call. She seemed… odd, but she said she was happy to help us move in.” The road finally ended, and Luz gasped as she looked at the property, eyes immediately drawn to the house, and the tall silo that sat almost directly behind it. The opened fields seemed to end almost right behind the house, where dense woods stretched out far to either side. The farmhouse was clearly old, but in good repair, and a large stained glass window vaguely resembling an eye seemed to watch the car pull up to the front, stopping right near the porch. 

As Luz jumped out of the vehicle, almost yelling with excitement, she was caught off guard by sudden barking. A small blurry shape shot off the porch, and ran at the girl, yapping as it came at her. Luz shrieked, and tried to hurriedly get back in the van before a loud yell stopped the beast.

“KING! Get yur’ furry behind back here!” A second figure appeared on the porch, previously hidden by the shadows. The small creature, which Lux now saw was simply a tiny, furry dog, sulked back to the porch, head and tail held low. Camila ran around from the other side of the car, hearing the commotion, and had a worried look on her face.

“Luz! Are you alright, mija?”

“She’s fine, lady. King here is all bark and no bite, ain’tcha?” Luz, coming out from her halfway position in the car, and her mother looked up to the speaker. A tall, fiery haired woman met their gaze, arms crossed in a confidant manner. She stomped down the porch steps, dirtied cowboy boots making the noise even louder on the creaky steps.

“I’m guessing that you are Edalyn?” Camila said, putting a protective hand on Luz’s shoulder. Her daughter tried to shrug it off, quietly saying “Mami..” in response to the coldly phrased question. Luz didn’t like making bad impressions, especially with a woman as cool looking as the one before them.

The woman laughed, throwing back her head to reveal a golden tooth in place of one of her canines. Her dog walked up besides her, its black tail now wagging at the people it had previously been barking at. “No need to be so uptight, lady. Ya can call me Eda, and this little thang here is King.” She motioned down to the black and white dog, who yipped at his name.

“My name is Camila. We talked on the phone earlier this week.” Luz’s mother maintained her displeased tone, eyes narrowing suspiciously at the countrywoman. Luz, sensing the tension, broke free from her mother's grip and walked up to the taller woman.

“And my name is Luz! Pleasure to meet ya!” The teen stuck her hand out, smiling up at the woman who happily returned the gesture, giving Luz a firm shake. 

“Nice to meet ya, Luz! Glad one of you is a bit friendly. Now, how’s about we get to unloading that van? It's already noon, and you don’t want to be stuck doing this later tonight.”

With Eda’s help, they were able to get the van completely unloaded and all the boxes brought inside by dinner time. The woman was surprisingly chatty, and Luz was happy to talk as she carried items up to what would be her new room. Apparently, Eda had helped Luz’s grandmother as she had started to get older, eventually moving in with the old woman when the chores had gotten to be too much for her failing body. Although the farm wasn’t producing any crops or products, there still were a few animals to take care of, including chickens and a few goats. Luz had immediately wanted to go check the animals out, but Camila had intervened, saying her daughter could go look at them tomorrow.

When the work was done and supper time had rolled around, Eda had offered to cook dinner, whipping up some hominy and sausage on the old stove. Despite being new, Luz found the meal surprisingly good, and even Camila seemed to be loosening up, happy to not be cooking for once. She and Eda talked at the dinner table, Camila telling the red head how she had found a job at the small hospital in town. Eda revealed she also had a career in Bonesborough, although she was a little more vague on her employment. 

Luz could hear them talking on the porch below her now, head and arms resting on the open windowsill in her new room. She still had to unpack her stuff, but for now she was content, gazing out at the darkening fields as dusk fell. It was much quieter out here than in the city, but Luz felt that she liked it that way better. 

As she was about to get up and close the window, she noticed something. Gazing up at the sky, Luz was amazed to find stars. She had never been able to see such a sight in the city, and as she gazed up the endless abyss, she smiled. She knew she had smiled more that day than she had in a very, very long time.

Who needed normal routine?


	2. School Sucks (Sometimes)

Luz’s feet kicked up dirt from the gravel path as she made her way to the main road, hands gripping the straps of her backpack. The sun had only just risen, and the orange sky paired with bird calls from the nearby woods painted the perfect picture of country serenity. Her eyes gazed over the empty fields, mind wandering as she walked to the waiting bus stop.

It was Luz’s first day at her new school, and she had woken up excited to meet other students for once. She had quickly gotten dressed and ready, practically running down the wooden stairs to the kitchen. The teen found her mother and Eda already awake and arguing over the counter.

“I don’t know how you can drink this stuff. It tastes like battery acid!” Camila spat, pouring a pot of foul-smelling coffee down the sink drain before beginning to make another one. Eda looked offended, flipping a pancake from where she was cooking on the stove. 

“It’s called flavor, Noceda. I’m sure Luz wouldn’t mind my coffee.” The redhead looked over as said teen came into the room, passing a plate of pancakes over as Luz sat down at the counter. Luz tore into the stack, shaking her head as she poured syrup over her plate.

“Sorry Eda, you make great pancakes, but mami has you beat on coffee,” she said, Camila giving a smug look to the other chef, who frowned from her spot at the stove. “And I don’t need any caffeine, I’m excited enough for school as it is.” Camila frowned at the mention of school, coming over to sit by Luz with a cup of fresh coffee. 

“Are you sure you're ready for school, mija? We can always wait another day if you're nervous.”

“I’m fine, mami. No te preocupes. A new school means a new start, and being the new kid can’t be any worse than being the weird kid.”

Eda butted in, leaning over the counter as she placed her own plate of pancakes down. “I’m sure y’all be fine. Those Hexside Highschoolers ain’t that mean. Just don’t give them any reason to hate ya.” Luz rolled her eyes, finishing her pancakes and giving her mom a quick hug before heading towards the door. She didn’t catch the worried look in Camila’s eyes, or the frustrated look her mother gave Eda.

“I’ll see you later tonight, Mami. By guys!” the teen said, grabbing her backpack from where it hung on the wall before closing the front door. Out on the porch, she gave King a quick pat as he snoozed from his spot on the porch swing, before stomping down the steps and walking away from the farmhouse.

Luz reached her destination after a quick walk, the only thing marking the bus stop from the rest of the long stretch of road being an old bench, and a surprising number of wildflowers surrounding it. She sat down on the rickety seating and looked back at the direction she had come from, only to find that farmhouse blocked from view by a stretch of trees. The property was set near the edge of town, and only then did Luz realize how secluded her home was from the main road. A little spooky, but at least it prevented any prying eyes from possibly watching her.

“I thought I saw someone sitting here!”

Or so she thought.

Luz whipped around at the sudden voice, yelping and putting her hands up in a weak attempt at self defense. Only to find the speaker as surprised as her by the sudden cry, leaning away from the bench with hands clenched tightly to the straps of her tote bag.

“Oh, I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to frighten you,” the girl reassured, a hand moving up to push back the gardening hat on her head, bespectacled eyes showing worry. “I’m just not used to seeing anyone at my stop.”

Luz, getting over her initial startle, lowered her hands, one coming up to sheepishly rub the back of her head. She gave an awkward laugh, embarrassed from her overreaction. “It’s alright! You just caught me off guard, is all. I think I’ll live.” 

The girl, seeing her relax, giggled along with Luz, before extending a hand. “My names Willow,” she chirped. Luz accepted the gesture, surprised to find the girl’s hand firmly calloused. “You must be new in town, no ones sat at this stop except me the last three years.”

“Yup,” Luz chuckled, moving her backpack onto the ground so Willow could sit beside her. The other girl accepted the gesture, smoothing out her skirt as she carefully sat on the old bench. “Me and my mom just moved into the house behind those woods.”

Willow gasped. “You live on Owl Farm?”

“I live on what?”

“Oh! Sorry, of course you wouldn’t know. Most folks around here call that place Owl Farm, on account of the lady that lives there.”

“Eda? What's she got to do with owls?

Willow chuckled. “You ought to ask her yourself. It's a pretty wild tale. Most people know it around these parts.” Luz wasn’t satisfied with that answer, but she could always ask Eda about it later. “Anyways, where’d you move here from?”

“Me and my mom moved here from the city! We got here on Saturday.” She smiled.

“So you're a city-slicker?” Willow teased, poking the other girl on the arm. Luz stuck her tongue out, both girls ending up giggling. “Well, I hope our town ain’t too small for ya.”

The conversation stopped there, however, as they spotted the school bus approaching. The yellow vehicle looked as old as the bench the girls were sitting on, the brakes screeching as it came to a stop. Luz followed Willow up the steps, the new girl drawing the attention of most students on the bus. The stares made her uncomfortable, the teen having flashbacks to her old school, and the unkind students there. Thankfully, Willow seemed happy to have Luz sit with her, and she calmed down a bit as the bus started back up again, gazing out the window to ignore any lingering looks.

When the bus finally pulled up to the high school, Luz was surprised to find that the school wasn’t one large building like she was used to, but instead spread out. The campus was much bigger than anything she was used to, and she felt confused by the strange layout. Willow was kind enough to direct her to the office building, before running off to her own class. She promised to meet Luz for lunch at the cafeteria, although Luz felt like she would have trouble locating said destination.

The teen entered the office, the secretary behind the counter telling her to wait as she got the principal. Luz paced the waiting room, nerves preventing her from sitting still. She tried not to worry, but Eda’s words from that morning had put a string of doubt in her mind. She didn’t want a repeat of her old school. She  **couldn’t** deal with all the bullying and humiliation again. She couldn’t. Worry gnawed at her gut, remembering the eyes of the students on the bus earlier. She hadn’t even talked with anyone besides Willow, and she was already freaking out.

“Miss Noceda?” Luz turned towards the voice, pausing her pacing. She found it belonged to an old gentleman, graying hair slicked back, and a bolo tie around his neck. He oozed formality, and Luz instinctively straightened her back in an attempt at a good impression. “I am principal Bump. Please, follow me.”

She did as he said, both going walking into a brightly lit office. She took a seat in front of the desk, Bump easing into a swivel chair before looking at a stack of papers. Luz felt nervous as he looked at her, straightening the documents he held in his hand.

“Now, I have been made aware of all the.. incidents, at your former school,” Bump began, causing Luz to shrink down in her seat. She had been scared that that would come up. Once a school branded you a troublemaker, she knew how hard that reputation was to break. “However, on account of your mother's insistence, and the fact that I don’t have high regards for most city schools, I have decided to not hold that against you, Miss Noceda.”

Luz blinked in surprise. She hadn’t expected such a statement from someone as professional looking as Bump. The principal handed her a piece of paper. “This is your schedule. You will have all the standard classes, along with the elective your mother took the courtesy of picking for you.” The teen skimmed over the list, before looking back up with a grin. “Welcome to Hexside, Miss Noceda.”

Luz stepped out of the cafeteria, feeling much better than she had that morning. Although she had eventually gone back to the office to get a map after getting lost twice, the teen hadn’t had that bad of a morning. Granted, no one except her new teachers had talked to her in class, but at least it was better than getting bullied. Besides, now she got to actually eat lunch with someone rather than by herself.

She made her way through the outside seating, lunch tray held carefully in her hands until she spotted Willow, who quickly waved her over. Luz sat down at the rounded table, it's only occupants being her, Willow, and a younger boy who was seemingly immersed in a magazine.

“Howdy, Luz! How has your first day been?” Willow asked, throwing her new friend a smile. Luz casually shrugged, picking up her fork to poke at the school provided meal of chicken and corn. 

“It’s been good! Better than at my old school. City kids can be really mean sometimes.” She was about to stab a piece of chicken before releasing that the boy who had previously been reading was now looking at her in wonder. He slapped down his magazine, before leaning over the table closer to her.

“You're from the city? Oh, my, gosh!” he practically squealed, before Willow grabbed his shirt and pulled him back to his side of the table.

“Gus! Don’t be rude!” The bespectacled girl scolded. The boy ignored her, hands drumming the table in excitement, causing Luz to chuckle. “Sorry, Luz. Gus here has always been interested in ‘big city’.”

“How can I not be? Everyone knows it's the place where you can make it big!” He picked up his magazine and presented it to the girls, who saw an advertisement mimicking his words. Luz laughed, taking the book from Gus’ hands to gaze amusedly at the picture.

“Well, Gus, I wouldn’t say it's all that,” she said, passing the magazine back. “But it certainly was thrilling, at least.” The boy smiled, before extending his hand.

“Names Gus Porter, by the way. Willow told me she met you at her bus stop.” Luz nodded, seeing Willow give a soft smile out of the corner of her eye. “Did you really live in the city? And do you really live on the Owl Farm now?”

“Yup, and yup,” she chirped, finally taking a bite out of her lunch. She could understand the interest in her living in the city, but not the curiosity both Willow and Gus seemed to have in her new home. “I don’t get why you guys are so interested in my property though. It's just an old farm, not like it's magical or anything.”

Gus slowly shook his head, a sly grin coming to his face. “I wouldn’t say it's magical,” he cackled, deepening his voice in an attempt at a scary tone. “More like it’s…. HAUNTED!”

On the last word, the boy threw up his arms, to emphasize his sentence. Unfortunately, his dramatics were poorly timed, with a group of girls walking right behind him. Gus’ hand knocked into one of their trays, sending it flying onto the floor. As the food dropped and the plastic clattered onto the ground, the entire seating area fell silent as students looked towards the commotion. Luz could see the emotions rapidly flickering over Gus’ face as he realized what he had just done, before the quiet was broken by a snarl.

“What. The. Hell, pipsqueak!” The girl whose tray had been knocked out turned to face the trio’s table, strawberry blonde hair framing a furious expression. Some of the meal had gotten onto her shiny boots, but that didn’t seem to bother her as she quickly closed the distance towards the table, shoving her face into Gus’s. 

“Why don’t you watch what you're doing, freak! You think for someone who skipped a few grades you’d be a lot smarter!” Luz gasped at the girl's words, while Gus shrunk down into his seat at the comments. She had had similar rude remarks thrown her way before at her old school, but never in such a direct manner. No one deserved to be treated that way, and Luz’s blood quickly boiled as she watched the bully sneer in her new friend's face. Seeing that Willow was in a similar position as Gus, frozen in fear, Luz decided to take matters into her own hands.

“Hey!” The bully's head whipped around, eyes focusing on the girl as she made her way around the table to stand by her friend. “You leave Gus alone! It was just an accident, you don’t have to be such a bitch about it!” A shocked murmur spread throughout the lunch tables, and Luz was pleased to see the stunned look on the other girl’s face. Maybe that would get her to back off.

But, similar to Gus, her plan backfired, as the girl grabbed the collar of Luz’s shirt, pulling her closer as her other arm wound back to ready a punch. “Care to repeat that, miss?” the bully growled, teeth bared in almost a feral manner. Luz felt her legs weaken as the anger she previously felt was replaced by fear, and the last thought she had before she closed her eyes was that she hoped the punch wouldn’t hurt too bad.

The blow never came. Luz hesitantly opened her eyes to find the bully’s fist stopped by a hand. She followed the toned arm it was connected to find another girl, a neutral expression plastered on her face. She looked vaguely tired, as if this wasn’t the first time she had to prevent such a situation, and she sighed as she slowly lowered the bully’s clenched fist. “Boscha, they ain’t worth it. Put the girl down,” she drawled, and the strawberry blonde reluctantly did so, releasing Luz’s collar from her grip.

Luz let out a shaky breath she didn’t realize she’d been holding, turning slightly so she could thank the girl that saved her. Only to find her already turning away, face remaining in the same neutral expression as she gazed at the trio's table from the corner of her eye. A hand came up to smooth back a wild head full of brown hair, Luz catching a dyed streak of mint in the mess. The girl’s next words were calm but cold, and Luz felt a twitch of anger as she started to walk away. “No use getting yur’ boots dirty in sum filth.”

Boscha followed after her, turning back one last time to sneer at the table before the whole group of girls left. Luz shakily sat down next to Gus, the surrounding students quietly going back to their conversations now that the show was over. The two turned around to properly sit at the lunch table, finding Willow giving them both a concerned look. Only Gus seemed able to speak, leaning his arms on the table.

“Well, that could have gone a lot worse.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I don't really like this chapter, but its essential to plot soo... yah. 
> 
> Sorry Lumity fans, Amity isn't gonna be super nice for the next couple chapters, but we'll get there eventually.
> 
> Also sorry Boschlow fans, but there ain't gonna be any in this fic. Boscha needs a whole redemption arc in my opinion for her to get with Willow and I don't have time for that. Plus, someone's gotta be the mean horse girl in this story.


	3. Cult Initiation Time

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> uhh, its 11:15 and i'm too tired to edit this now but i want to post so. i'll fix any errors in the morning
> 
> Update: Fixed it! Might have missed a few things, but should be overall better now!

The lunch incident had, understandably, shaken the trio up, and the rest of the meal was eaten almost in silence, only broken when the bell rang to signal their next period. Luz took the time to reflect, mainly on the event that had just occurred. Part of her wanted to scream, to chase down Boscha and that other girl for insulting her and Gus. But the other part of her, the part which had endured bullying for years, wanted to curl up and die. If it wasn’t enough that she insulted what seemed like a popular girl in front of everyone, she had also gotten really defensive of the other two sitting at her table. What if they thought that was weird? What if they regretted inviting her to sit with them? 

What if they didn’t want to be friends?

That fear was negated, however, as she got up to leave when the bell rang. She grabbed her bag, dragging her feet as she began to walk away. She was stopped when someone cleared their throat, turning around to find the other two looking confused.

“You're scampering off quick. Aren’t you going to say goodbye, at least?” Gus questioned, grabbing his own bag as he got up. Luz blinked, surprised at his question, and sheepishly rubbed the back of her head.

“Oh. I, um. Didn’t think you’d wanna talk to me after that whole fiasco.”

“You mean after you totally showed Boscha up?” Willow chuckled, much calmer than she thought she would be. “No ones ever done  _ that  _ before.”

“You guys aren’t mad?”

“Heck no, why would we be? No one has ever done anything like that for us before.” Gus and Willow came over to stand beside Luz, who chuckled out of surprise, and relief. Gus gave her a friendly punch on the arm, laughing along with her. “I’m just glad you decided to be friends with us.”

Luz was too.

As she made her way to her last class, Luz was feeling a lot better about the whole situation. No one had talked to her in her classes, similar to that morning, but she felt a few more stares on her than before. No one was talking about her though, at least not where she could hear, and Luz felt a little better about the whole situation. Maybe stuff like that was common around here.

Luz found the classroom relatively quickly, the building being near the back of the school, a large field sitting behind it. As she opened the door to the class, a small shape shot out at her, barking up a storm. The teen felt a sense of Deja vu as she jumped back, letting out a startled squeak. She was even more surprised when she recognized the yipping creature, leaning down to pick it up. “King? What the heck are you doing here?”

“KING! Get yur- oh, howdy Luz.” The teen looked up, startled to find Eda of all people standing by the door. The older woman chuckled at Luz’s shocked expression, holding the door open and gesturing for her to open.

“Why the heck are you here Eda?” Luz said, carrying King into the empty classroom with her. The open room was decorated with all sorts of agriculture decor, mixed in with the usual schoolroom supplies and posters. It was more odder than any of her other classrooms, and she frowned as she turned back around while Eda closed the door. “And what the heck class is this supposed to be again?”

“Ya know you can swear, kid. I ain’t yur’ mom,” the redhead chuckled, walking to a desk on the side of the room. She plopped down into the swivel chair, leaning back and putting her boots up on the desk. “And to answer yur’ questions; one, I work here. Two, this is the ag classroom. Didn’t ya see what yur’ elective is?”

“Uh,” Luz stammered, slipping her schedule out of her back pocket. She unfolded the paper, skimming it until she found the last class of her day: AG. SCIENCE. “I was more focused on actually finding my classes than what they were. Whats ag. science? That doesn’t sound like something mami would pick for me.”

“It ain’t. I convinced her to pick it for ya. Thought it’d be funny to surprise ya.”

“But what is it? No offense, but you don’t seem like the kind to practice proper lab safety. Or teach anything in general.”

“None taken.” Eda brought her feet down and sat up straight in her chair, shuffling some of the scattered papers. “And it's not really a science class. More like… an introduction class.”

“An introduction to what?”

“FFA, of course!” Seeing the confused look on Luz’s face, the countrywoman sighed. “You city-slickers really don’t know much about agriculture, do ya? Future Farmers of America is kinda like a nationwide club for kids interested in farming stuff. Hexside puts any kid that wants to be part of it in some sort of agriculture class, and then they use this last period as a club meeting.”

Luz was a little confused, to put it lightly. “Why would you have mami put me in this class? I don’t know anything about farming, Eda!”

“It ain’t about farming, kid,” Eda began, before they were interrupted by the door opening. A surprised looking Willow and Gus walked in, before they both smiled.

“Oh! We didn’t know you got put in an ag. class!” Willow said, putting her tote on a chair before coming over to Luz. Gus immediately came to stand beside her, hands excitedly tapping out a rhythm on the table.

“Are you joining FFA? Are you excited? Did Ms. Clawthorne help you join?” The rapid-fire questions from Gus had her stammering, looking over to Eda for some support. The redhead didn’t offer any help, looking like she was also expecting Luz to answer. The teen looked back towards her new friends, and seeing their expectant faces, she made her decision.

“Yea, I am. But you guys are probably gonna have to help me understand this whole thing.”

Willow and Gus were happy to help explain the whole FFA thing as other students came filtered into the class. The Hexside chapter was apparently really into competitive events, where different chapters came together to be quizzed on various agriculture subjects. Luz was a little confused about what exactly the events were, but the other two assured her that it would be explained later in the week, when the class would decide what events they competed in that year.

Unfortunately, Luz saw some of the girls from lunch enter the class just before the bell rang. Boscha was leading the group, and when she saw Luz she scoffed, shooting a nasty glare her way. Willow and Gus each sent a look back, and the groups situated themselves on opposite sides of the room. The other students seemed to sense the tension, and the class fell strangely quiet as the bell finally rang.

“Alright kids! Time for yur’ silly club!” Eda clapped her hands together at the front of the class, drawing everyone's attention. She pointed over to Luz, everyone's head turning to look at the new student. “We got a new club member today, in the form of my new landlord, Miss Luz the city-slicker!”

Luz flushed a little in embarrassment at the sudden spotlight, standing up and awkwardly waving towards the class. Boscha scoffed again, rolling her eyes, sneering out “Oh, great. Another weird member from the Owl Farm to annoy us. And from the city, no less.”

Eda gave the teen an unamused look, shaking her head. “Don’t make me kick ya out of class today, Boscha. Now, I’m gonna go get the dye for the greenhand ceremony, so I’ll hand things off to your chapter prez, Miss Amity Blight.”

While the countrywoman went over to go shuffle around in cabinets at the back of the class, a girl came up to the front. Luz recognized her as the one who stopped Boscha from hitting her. She would have been more grateful, if she hadn’t also insulted Luz and her friends directly afterward. 

Amity wore the same calm expression she had earlier as she began talking, summarizing the club’s meetings from last week and talking about FFA news. Luz could understand little of the speech, but she watched the brown-haired girl talk anyways, trying to pay attention like everyone else.

The teen noticed the streak of dyed hair on Amity’s head, the one she has spotted earlier at lunch. The ribbon of mint was hidden in the brown mane, and its color vaguely reminded Luz of one of her favorite books. Her gaze traveled to the other’s face, noting that one of the girls eyebrows was cut, and a white bandage was stuck to the bridge of her nose, adding a bit more onto her already intimidating look. 

Luz’s gaze traveled a bit lower, and she did a sharp intake when she saw Amity’s arms. They were fully exposed, due to the other girl wearing a tank top, and the muscles on them looked like they could bend steel. Luz quickly looked away when she realized she’d been staring at the other girl for far too long, a blush creeping its way onto her cheeks. But the redness only increased when she saw Willow give her a confused look, having heard the other quietly gasp.

Luckily, Luz was saved from questioning by a victorious cry from the back of the class. Eda proudly held up a plain white container, sloshing around whatever was inside. “Found it! Thought someone might have thrown it away for a minute there. Were ya done with the recount, Amity?”

“Just finishing up, Miss Clawthorne,” the girl nodded, Eda coming up to stand beside her in front of everybody. The chapter leader turned to Luz, who was still flushed from her staring. “Ya mind comin’ on up here, Miss Luz?”

The teen slowly stood up, taking her time in making her way to the front of the class in hopes that her blush would go away. Thankfully, never Eda nor Amity made any comment. Eda opened the container she held to reveal it was full of a dark green liquid, talking to the class as she did so. 

“Alright everyone, ya know the drill. Now Luz, as part of chapter tradition, new members get there hand dyed green,” Eda explained, half hazardous sloshing the liquid around. When she saw Luz’s confused look, she just shrugged. “It’s supposed to represent your new start. Or something. I don’t know really, but it's funny to see ya kids have your hand being green for a week.”

Eda handed the dye to Amity, who handled it with much more care than the redhead had. The other students started softly banging their fists on the table, getting louder as Luz turned to face the container. Bewildered by the whole situation, she felt her nerves spike even more when she felt a hand on her wrist, looking down to find it was none other than Amitys.

The brunette cocked an eyebrow when she felt Luz’s arm stiffen, looking up at the other girl. She seemed to be studying her face, and Luz really hoped that her blush from earlier was gone. And then, Luz didn’t know if it was fear from being in front of all the other students, the adrenaline that stemmed from the rhythmic pounding of their fists, or the embarrassment of being caught staring, but her legs turned to jelly when Amity suddenly  _ smirked  _ at her.

“No need to be nervous, city-slicker,” she said, guiding Luz’s hand into the dye while the new member stood stock-still. Luz felt like a deer stuck in the headlights, eyes flashing from her hand, to the surrounding students still pounding away, before finally settling on the Amity's eyes, the other girl still staring at her with that damn  _ look  _ on her face. “It ain’t like us country folk bite that hard.”

“Did you really just initiate me into a cult?” Luz asked, looking down at her green hand. She was sitting in Eda’s truck, both driving back home to the Owl Farm. After the initiation ceremony class had ended, and Luz had said goodbye to Willow and Gus before leaving with Eda. The two had sat in silence for most of the drive, with Luz mostly lost in her thoughts.

It had been a weird first day, but Luz wouldn’t call it bad. Sure, almost being punched had kinda sucked, but she had gained two new friends from the whole experience. And sure, her hand was now dyed green for who knows how long, but she was also part of a club now, kind of. To be honest, she wasn’t too sure what FFA was still, but hey! She was a part of something, which was more than she had ever been at her old school.

Most of her time, however, was spent thinking about  _ her _ . Amity Blight. The girl with the toned arms, the girl who had saved her, then insulted her, then had  _ flirted _ with her. At least, Luz thought it was flirting, with the way she had been smiling when she said it, and had chuckled when Luz had immediately turned red. It was all very confusing, and so Luz had decided to distract herself by talking to Eda. 

“Oh, it's not that bad kid. FFA kids get lots of respect around these parts,” Eda shrugged, one arm hanging out the open window as she turned onto their road. Luz didn’t miss how she avoided the question, but decided to say nothing of it. “Besides, your grandma woulda wanted you to. She was part of it when she was your age.”

Luz blinked, surprised. Not by the statement, but rather by the fact Eda had mentioned her grandmother. Camila had her daughter not to mention the old woman, for fear of upsetting the redhead. Neither Noceda knew how close the two had been, but Eda hadn’t appeared sad whenever Luz had seen her. But now, as they parked the truck beside the farmhouse, the teen felt a shift in the mood.

“Here kid, I’ve got something to give ya,” Eda said, turning to grab something from the back seat. It took her a minute, even waking King up from where he had been taking a nap, before she finally pulled out a folded article of clothing, handing it to Luz. The blue material felt scratchy, and as the teen unfolded it, she found it to be a jacket of some sort, with golden embroidery spelling out NOCEDA on the back, along with HEXSIDE.

“It was your grandma’s old jacket. Ya can, y’know, wear it to events and stuff. This too.” Eda quickly handed over an old cowboy hat that she had grabbed as well, the yellow hatband matching the jacket's lettering in color. Luz held the two items, surprised by the sudden gifts, and looked up only to see the redhead turning away, quietly hiding a sniffle. “Ya remind of her, ya know. Both got that fire in ya. She was a good friend.”

Luz felt like she should say something, try and comfort the older woman, but as quickly as the moment came, it passed. When Eda turned around she was wearing a smile, the only sign of distress being a slight glimmer in her eyes. “Know, let's go inside. Your mom said she was making dinner tonight, and I plan on telling her everything tastes like battery acid.”

Luz hopped out of the car with her, carefully cradling the clothes. She carefully put the hat on her head, the old material sitting comfortably. She caught a look of herself in the side mirror, and was pleased to find she didn’t look half bad. Maybe she wasn’t so much of a city-slicker after all. She wanted to thank Eda, but she felt the other woman didn’t want to even mention it. So she decided to ask her a question that had been on her mind all day instead, as the two made their way up the porch with King.

“Hey Eda, what's the deal with you and owls?”

“Really? Ya found out that quickly? Gosh, ya release twenty of those birds into the cafeteria as a prank in high school, then people call you the ‘Owl Lady’ the rest of yur’ life! Damn!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Me? Basing Luz's school, experiences, and view on FFA on my myself? It's more likely than you think.
> 
> Also, I know people are gonna be confused on what the heck FFA is, especially people who aren't American but its like. A nationwide club? For people interested in farming and surrounding professions? This fic isn't gonna go in depth on how it works or portray everything accurately, but I'm only really using it as a reason for everyone to hang out and a bit of plot so. Ya :p I explain stuff in the chapter notes if anyhting ever gets too confusing.
> 
> I'm sorry if any of ya came only for country fic and didn't expect the FFA stuff still, but I hope it doesn't take away from the fic or its story.


	4. Need a ride?

“I can’t believe this dye is _still_ on my hand,” Luz complained, holding the offending appendage in front of her. She, Gus, and Willow were eating lunch in the ag. room, Luz sitting on one of the larger tables with Gus while Willow sat across from them in her desk. Eda was softly snoring at her desk, taking a note from King, and catching a quick wink during lunch. It was Friday, a block day at Hexside, and that meant the kids had ag. class right after lunch. The trio had decided to save themselves a walk by eating indoors, and now they were waiting for the bell to ring.

“I’m glad you only have to do that once.” Gus kicked his legs as they dangled off the table, looking at Luz’s hand as well. Up to her wrist, the dark green had stained the entirety of the hand, even her fingernails. It had been almost five days, and the dye had only faded a little, despite the girl’s best attempts at washing it off. “I swear Owl Lady uses industrial paint or something to make it stay on that long.”

“Gus!” Willow hissed, looking up from the book she was reading to send him a disapproving glare. The trio quickly glanced over to the teacher’s desk, letting out a collective sigh of relief when they saw Eda was still asleep. As they turned around, Luz noticed the cover of Willow's book had the signature FFA logo on it, as the other girl held it back up to continue where she had left off.

“Whatcha’ reading there, Willow?” Luz asked, interested in why her friend had been reading the thin book almost the entirety of lunch. While both Gus and Willow had been helping Luz learn the basics of FFA that week, catching her up during class while their other clubmates talked about various agricultural topics, the city-slicker found it was Gus who was more willing to talk and get involved in the club. Willow was less likely to discuss or debate with other students unless the subject flowed to plants or crops, in which case Luz saw her friend really open up and passionately talk. So it was weird to see her seemingly so interested in what looked like a rule book of some sort.

Willow looked up at her expectant friend, Gus looking interested now as well. The girl turned the book around to show them the page, Luz leaning in to see the paper labeled CAREER AND LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT EVENT’s, with a list underneath. The new club member was confused on what it was, but Gus seemed to understand, excitedly tapping his hands on the table.

“Oh yeah, I totally forgot about that!” he squeaked, causing Willow to chuckle at the younger boy's excitement. She quickly noticed Luz’s bewildered look, however, and handed the book over so the other girl could get a better look.

“Remember earlier this week when we said the chapter competed in events?” Willow asked. Luz quickly nodded, eyes glued to the page as she skimmed through the lists. “We call those CDEs and LDEs. There’s a whole bunch of them you can do, but our chapter usually picks three to focus on. We’re voting on which ones we pick today.”

“Yeah! I’m gonna vote for ag. communications!” Gus excitedly pointed at one of the groups on the list, Luz reading the little blurb underneath. “My dad could help me with that one!” 

“And I’m voting for floriculture,” Willow added. Luz noted both her friends' choices as she looked over the list, impressed by the wide range of subjects there seemed to be to choose from. They all seemed interesting to the city-slicker, who had never even heard of some of the options presented.

“I’m impressed you guys can just pick three events to do,” she said, handing the book back to Willow. “They all seem pretty cool.” Just then, the bell rang, signaling the end of lunch waking Eda from her nap with a snort. The trio giggled at the noise, the older woman glaring at the three before sitting up straighter in her seat. Luz and Gus went to sit in their desks as other students started to enter class, an excited hum building as more and more people gathered.

It all came to a head as the final bell rang, and Eda stood up to address the class.

“Alright kids, shut yur’ yaps,” she began, earning a snicker from a few of the students. “As I’m sure ya all know, today your gonna be picking the three CDE events we’ll be competing in this year. I know not all of ya are gonna want to compete, or can compete in these events, but I don’t want to see any of ya voting for something stupid. Got it?” Most of the class nodded, and Luz saw a few students whispering, excited for the vote. Eda turned back to her desk, grabbing a basket full of paper slips and a voting box. “Alright, grab a slip, and write your choice!”

Once the votes had been cast and counted, Eda revealed the three winners, and the events the chapter would compete in: vet science, horse evaluation, and floriculture. The reveal of each garnered mixed reactions from the class, with students groaning or cheering as Eda said each one. One senior girl seemed really pumped for vet science, letting out a victory shout when it was first announced. Boscha gave a smirk when horse evaluation was said, haughtily flipping her strawberry-blonde hair. Finally, Willow gave a happy squeal when floriculture was picked, Luz smiling at her friend's joy in having her vote picked.

The class separated after that, separating into two groups. Most of the students decided not to compete, either because they weren’t interested, or their first choice hadn’t been picked. Gus, unfortunately, was in the latter group.

“Come on, Gus, I’m sure you’ll have fun competing in one of the other events!” Luz said, trying to cheer up her disappointed friend. The younger boy was moping at his desk, Willow and Luz standing by and offering support. He dramatically sighed, flopping his head onto the table to hide his face.

“No, it’s ok,” he replied, voice muffled by his face being squished into his desk. Willow supportingly patted his shoulder, Gus turning his head so he could look at the girls. “I don’t want to take a spot from someone actually interested in that stuff.”

“Well, look at this way. At least you’ll have time to do color guard like you said you wanted to,” Willow stated, trying to encourage the boy and get him out of his funk. Luckily, it seemed to work, as Gus brought his head up at that.

“Oh, your right!” he chirped. Luz laughed at her friends new found elation, while Willow simply smiled, both glad that the boy was no longer mopping. Gus seemed satisfied that he was still able to do one activity he wanted, softly drumming out a beat on the table. “And I can come cheer you on at your events!”

The entire trio, now in good spirits, made their way over to Eda’s desk, where all the students willing to compete in the events were gathering. Luz had no intention of competing either, seeing as she still was confused about the whole CDE/LDE and had no idea how they worked, but both her and Gus were supporting Willow. The girl had apparently wanted to compete in events before this year but hadn’t been confident enough to until now. Willow's dream event was picked, and she wasn't going to give up the chance to join.

The group around the teacher’s desk was small compared to the size of the class. Most of the students she vaguely recognized, but didn’t know the names of. Boscha was there, rolling her eyes as the trio came up. Gus had told Luz that apparently Boscha had bullied people into picking the horse evaluation event ever since her freshman year. Luz had learned that not only was Bocha a bully, but the county’s local rodeo queen _and_ star football player. It wasn’t hard to see why she had gotten away with stealing the vote for the last three years.

“Alright, looks like there's enough of ya here,” Eda declared, a clipboard and pen held in her hands. She glanced over there face, smiling when she saw Luz in the group. The teen gave a little wave, before the teacher looked down at the board. “You know the drill, four people for each team, and then backups if there's leftovers. First up, horse judging!”

Boscha, unsurprisingly, made herself leader of that group, gaining a small groan from the collected people. Two seniors who Luz didn’t recognize, and a junior named Matt also signed up for horse judging. A senior boy named Jerbo, Willow, and two other girls made up the floriculture event, with Jerbo nervously taking the role of group leader. Luz was a bit skeptical of the other two floriculture girls, since they normally hung around Boscha during class, but they seemed nice enough. Finally, it was vet science turns.

“Alright, anyone wanna volunteer as group leader?” Eda asked, scribbling names on the clipboard. The senior from earlier, rocking a punk look with her fish hook earring and spiked hair tie, raised her hand. “Ah, Viney. Wouldn’t expect less, not with your internship and everything. And now, members?”

A boy with glasses raised his hand, and Eda quickly wrote his name down. There was then an awkward pause, the students looking around to see if anyone else would volunteer. Luz noticed that there didn’t seem to be anyone left to volunteer, and the group had fallen short of people to join. But then, a voice broke the silence.

“I’ll join,” it drawled, and everyone at the desk turned to see none other than their chapter leader, Amity. She sauntered up to the desk, and Eda nodded in approval. 

“Thanks, kid. Now we just need one more. How about you, Luz?” The teacher said, turning towards the girl. Luz, however, wasn’t listening. The city-slicker had frozen as soon as she had heard Amity’s voice, turning to watch the brunette walk over.

Ever since Monday, Luz had been a mess any time she had seen the other girl. The greenhand ceremony, and how Amity had basically flirted with her in front of everyone made her blush anytime she thought about it, and her green hand didn’t help her forget. Luz had then taken the task of avoiding the buff girl at all costs, comforting herself by saying it was because of the lunch incident, not because of the knots that formed in her stomach every time she glanced at that mint streak, or those golden eyes.

So the fact that Amity was now standing practically next to her, staring at her along with everyone else, had practically made her short-circuit. She was only broken out of her stupor when Willow had elbowed her, causing her to stammer out. “W-what?”

“Oh, come on, Luz. It’ll be fun!” Eda said, encouraging the girl. The other members of the vet science group seemed to agree, the two seniors giving her an encouraging nod. Luz chanced a glance at Amity, and found the other girl simply looked amused, the corner of her mouth tugged up. Luz felt her face begin to turn red, and, in an attempt to escape the embarrassing situation, she quickly replied.

“Alright, let's do it.”

Luz sighed as she stepped out of the ag. class, tiredly running a hand through her short hair. School was over, and most of the students had already left for home, leaving the teen basically by herself. And unfortunately, stranded.

After Luz had agreed to join the group, the students split up, the new teams sitting down to discuss their events. Luz found that the two seniors in her group were named Viney and Barcus, Viney quickly taking charge of the small group. It seemed vet science had been what the girl had voted for, and she was extremely prepared, explaining how the event worked to the other three. Luz only half-heartedly listened, distracted by the fact that Amity was sitting right across from her.

Class quickly passed, and by the time the bell rang, Viney had given everyone a packet to study from, and the goal of memorizing the list of dog breeds over the weekend. She also made a group chat, which had Luz internally screaming when she realized she had Amity’s number. 

They said their goodbyes as the bell rang, Luz letting out a sigh of relief when she felt like she could finally breathe. She waved to Willow and Gus as they left, walking over to Eda’s desk to wait for her to finish work so they could go home. Only to find the teacher on her phone, a frown plastered on her face as she hung up.

“Ready to go home?” Luz probed, only to be answered with a frustrated groan.

“You're gonna have to find a different ride today, kid.”

“Huh?”

Eda started shoving her stuff into her bag, ignoring the confused look on Luz’s face. The teen watched in worry as Eda began to stalk towards the door, trailing after her when she realized the woman was serious.

“But the bus has already left! How am I gonna get back?”

“Ask one of your friends. I got something important I have to do.”

Luz stopped in her tracks, watching in despair as Eda left without a second look. The woman’s behaviour was out of character, and the cold tone in her voice kept the anxious teen from questioning further. But when Eda left, Luz realized how big of a problem she now had on her hands.

Willow always took the bus, so getting help from her was out of the question. Gus walked home, living in town, so he probably couldn’t help. And Camilia worked until 6:00 that night, and rarely answered her phone while at the hospital. Luz was stuck.

“What’s gotcha down, city-slicker?”

Luz yelped, jumping at the unexpected question. She turned around to find two other teens practically standing right behind her. They were the two seniors from the horse judging group, the ones Luz didn’t know much about. She could guess they were twins, seeing how closely their faces and dirty blonde hair matched. The girl was the one who had spoken, and Luz watched as she leaned back in response to her squeak.

“Oh. Uh, it's nothing.” Luz didn’t want to trouble the two. But her weak remark didn’t seem to convince them, the guy leaning closely in to examine the younger girl’s face. Luz felt a light blush at the sudden closeness, awkwardly laughing in an attempt to reassure him.

“Doesn’t look like nothing. Seems like ya got something on your mind.”

“Ya. Yur’ names Luz, right? The new chapter member?”

The younger teen blinked in surprise. “Yup. Didn’t you see the whole Greenhand ceremony?”

“Nah.” The girl dismissively waved her hand. “We always skip on Mondays.”

“Sorry we missed your introduction though.”

“It's ok.” Luz relaxed a little as the twins talked, turning around so she could properly face them. The two seemed friendly enough.

“But ya didn’t answer our question. What’s on yur’ mind?”

“Well… I don’t have a ride.”

“That's all?” The guy laughed, walking over to put an arm over Luz’s shoulder, his sister mimicking on the other side. “Why, we can help with that!”

“Really?”

“Sure. Ain’t no trouble to give you a lift.”

“But I don’t even know your names!”

“EDRIC! EMIRA!”

The three’s heads snapped towards the shout, to find an angry Amity stomping over. It was the first time Luz had seen the girl anything other than calm, and the amount of red Amity turned would have been adorable if it wasn’t for the fact that it was directed at her.

“What do ya think yur’ doing?” Amity snapped at the twins when she came to stand in front of them, hands on her hips. Luz had frozen again in panic, but the twins didn’t seem bothered. Rather, they seemed amused, giving the chapter leader matching lazy smiles as they stayed where they stood, arms wrapped around Luz’s shoulders.

“Why, only being responsible FFA members!”

“Ya, _Mittens._ Our new city-slicker friend is in need of a ride.”

“It would look bad if the chapter presidents family didn’t help out with such a simple task, wouldn’t it?”

Amity became even more read as the twins talked, which Luz didn’t think was possible. The girl sputtered, trying to come up with a response to her siblings as they watched her with the same cool expression that Amity normally wore. Finally, the youngest sibling let out a frustrated huff, turning away and stomping back in the direction she had come from. 

“Just hurry up and get in the truck!”

The car ride was awkward. Amity went to the back seat, with Emira driving and Edric taking shotgun. Which left Luz with the last seat in the back, sitting right next to Amity. So much for avoiding her.

The twins took no notice of the silence in the backseat, opting to instead chat with each other as bluegrass softly played on the radio. Luz had been looking out the window for most of the ride, questions rapidly forming in her brain. Why was Amity so mad when she saw her? Why had the twins called her Mittens? Was she still mad?

Luz chanced a glance at the other girl, to find her calmly looking out the window. Her head was pressed against the glass, brown hair messed up by the awkward position. Luz found her gaze once again drawn to the mint streak in the girl's hair, following it as it ran through the mane. Again, the color reminded her vaguely of one of her favorite books, the shade of green being almost identical to the story's main character. When she followed streak to Amity’s face, however, she was shocked to see the other girl's gaze, golden eyes cooly regarding her. 

“Ya city-slickers sure like ta’ look, don’tcha?” Shit. Luz eyes immediately shot down to the seat, breaking their gaze. Amity only chuckled, the sound sending the embarrassed girls face ablaze. “Did ya see something you like?”

God, why did she have to be so smooth? Luz stammered, trying to find her words. She didn’t want to give a weird answer and embarrass herself even more, but Amity was obviously looking for an answer, moving her head off the window so she could properly look at the other girl. 

“Your-um, y-your hair just. Reminded me of a book.” Luz cringed as the words left her mouth, still awkwardly looking down at the seat. She knew that was a weird answer, and she was prepared for Amity to stop talking to her, maybe give her a judgmental glare. But when she chanced an upward glance, she instead found the other girl looking mildly surprised.

“Do ya mean The Good Witch Azura?”

“Wh- uh, ya! That's the one.” Luz fully looked up at that, finding Amity genuinely smiling.

“I didn’t think anyone would ever recognize it. Not many people are interested in fantasy around here.”

“Well, that just dumb. You got the color down perfectly!”

Amity laughed at that, a grin breaking the usually reserved attitude Luz was used to. The city-slicker beamed, leaving her awkwardness behind now that the other girl wasn’t flirting with her. She didn’t think Amity would be the type to read the same young adults novel as her, especially not the type to dye her hair to show her devotion.

“Thanks. Which book is yur’ favorite?”

“Oh, definitely book five. The tension between Hecate and Azura was palpable!” Luz declared, only to see Amity look confused. The teen dramatically gasped, leaning closer to the other girl. “You haven’t read it yet?”

“Well…” Amity faltered, a light tint coming to her face. Luz pulled away, grabbing her bag from the floor to riffle through it. She let out a victorious cry when she found what she was looking for, pulling out a book and handing it Amity. The cover art showed a girl dramatically posing, her mint hair matching the streak in Amity’s.

“Here, you can borrow my copy! It’s really good!” Luz chirped, watching as the other girl carefully took the book from her hands. Amity gazed at the cover for a minute, before looking up at Luz with a smile on her face. The city-slicker noticed how soft the normally tough country-girl looked in that moment, a light blush covering her face. Luz felt her own face mimic the redness, especially when Amity looked up, golden eyes meeting brown. They stayed like that for a moment, a comfortable moment finally settling between the two.

The silence was broken by a throat being cleared, the two turning to find Edric and Emira looking back at them with smirks on their faces. The girls looked down at the ground in embarrassment, missing the look that the twins shared. The truck has stopped, parked in front of the road leading to the Owl Farm. The farmhouse was hidden by the trees, but that didn’t stop the twins from looking out the window and trying to get a peek at the mysterious house.

“Thanks for the ride,” Luz said, jumping out of the truck and turning to find the siblings rolling down their windows.

“No prob, city-slicker.”

“It was our pleasure!”

The truck started up, slowly pulling away and onto the road. Luz was about to start walking towards her house when Amity stuck her head out the window, wildly waving as the car started to speed away. “See ya in class, Luz!”

The teens face finally broke out into a full blush at the goodbye, waving back until the truck was out of sight. When she was sure it was gone, Luz then covered her face with her hands, screaming her frustration into the empty fields. As the squeal died down, Luz brought her hands down, looking in the direction that the truck went, face still red. As she began slowly walking to her house, she had a sudden realization as she felt the knots in her stomach come back when she caught a glimpse of her green-dyed hand.

She had a crush on Amity.

Shit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! I had a busy couple of days, going back to school for the first time this year, work, an internship, and hanging out with friends and family.
> 
> But ya, this chapter was fun! I hope I was able to describe the FFA stuff clearly enough, if ya have any questions I'll be happy to answer. Also, sorry if the end seems rushed, I really wanted to get this out.
> 
> ALSO the artist who came up with the whole country/barnowl au, onionringz, drew one of the scenes from last chapter, and I want you all to LOOK AT IT. GO GIVE HER LOVE, THIS IS BEATUFIUL.
> 
> [](https://onionrinqz.tumblr.com/post/631711048905474048/okay-but-this-entire-scene-in-the-fic-killed-me-i)  
>   
> 


	5. Camila Gets Mad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Dana: Hey, it's actually Camila, not Camilia!  
> Me, finally glad autocorrect will stop bugging me: Oh, cool!  
> Me, also realizing the tags will be forever messed up and I know have to go back and fix her name in all the chapters: Oh, no!

Luz went to bed that night with knots still in her stomach. Not only had the realization of her crush left her with… emotions, she also had to deal with the whole Eda situation. When Camila had come home late that night and found Luz alone, it hadn’t ended well.

Luz had been in the kitchen, cooking herself a healthy meal of ramen when she heard the door open. Her head turned towards the noise, putting down her fork as Camila tiredly walked in. Her feet dragged as she went to sit at the counter, sighing as she sunk into a stool. Luz slipped an already prepared bowl over to her mother, who slowly started eating.

“Long day?” Luz asked, going back to the stove. 

“Mhm,” Camila mumbled, slurping up the noodles. She lazily watched her daughter putter around the kitchen as she ate her dinner, a peaceful moment for both of them after their long days. That is, it was until Camila suddenly spoke.

“Where’s Eda, mija?” Camila questioned, noticing the housemate's absence. The other woman was always hanging around when food was involved, to Camila’s annoyance whenever she tried to cook. Luz froze, back turned to her mother. She had been dreading this moment.

“Uh. She isn’t home.”

“Well, I can see that, mija. Dónde está ahora?”

“I... I don’t know, mami. She left when I was at school.” Luz winced as the words left her mouth. There was no better way to say it, especially when the teen knew her mother would be upset no matter how it was phrased. And as Luz turned around, her fears were confirmed when she saw the furious look on her mother's face.

“She. What?” Camila hissed out, clutching her fork tightly.

“Mami, no te enojes. I got a ride with my friends, I was fine. You don’t need to get mad at Eda…” Luz started, but it seemed useless. Her mother was already out of her chair, pacing the room. Quiet curses could be heard as she mumbled to herself, and Luz grew more and more nervous as she waited for her mother's eventual response. 

Luz knew that her mother and Eda didn’t always get along, that much was clear. Camila had been suspicious of the housemate ever since they moved in, and Eda had done little to mitigate those feelings, the two always bugging each other in one way or another. But Luz had thought they had finally at least warmed up to each other, especially when Eda volunteered to drive Luz home from school every day, which Camila had hesitantly agreed to.

Now? Camila looked like she was going to strangle the other woman when she got home. Luz had made one more attempt to calm her mother down, which only resulted in her being sent to bed. The last thing the teen saw before she went upstairs was her mother sitting in a chair, facing the door, waiting.

As Luz laid in her bed, her mind was racing over the day. She wasn’t mad at Eda like her mother was. It’d be better to say she was hurt. The teen thought she and Eda had been getting along, especially after the older woman had given Luz her grandmother's jacket and hat. Their car rides home from school had been fun, with Eda pointing out the different crops and animals, or singing horribly to country music as they drove down the long windy roads. 

Not that afternoon though. Luz had a flashback to when Eda had left her, the teacher's face pulled into a frown as she left the class after her phone call. Something or someone must have upset her on that call, enough to the point where she wasn’t acting normal. Luz felt a little better, knowing she wasn’t the reason that Eda had left, but it still stung that she had been abandoned.

It was a good thing that Ed and Em had been there. They were nice to offer her a ride, and she even got to sit next to… Amity. Luz could feel her face flush in the darkness of her room at the thought of the girl. The teen already had conflicting feelings about the cowgirl, and now that they were on a team together it would make everything more awkward.

Luz rolled over in bed, smooshing her face into her pillow. The way Amity had interacted with her in the car, flirting, being excited when they found out they shared an interest in the same book series, Luz lending her the fifth Azura book. The memory made Luz smile, the brief interaction playing over and over in her head. Especially the way Amity had waved goodbye to Luz, a wild grin on her face as the truck had speed down the road. 

Luz fell asleep with a dopey grin on her face, head full of thoughts of buff arms and mint dyed hair.

Luz awoke early the next morning, sun shining in through her curtains. She reluctantly got up to go outside, slipping a pair of crocs on. She went downstairs, quietly slipping past her mother who was fast asleep in the same chair she had been in last night. Luz went out the back door, trotting to the barn to avoid her shoes getting wet from the morning dew. She could hear the hungry bleats of the goats when she arrived, entering the building through a creaky side door.

The barn was old, like everything else on the farm, and its white paint was peeling, giving it a rickety appearance. The outside was deceiving, however, and inside was picture perfect, hay in the loft and tack displayed on the wall like some cheesy movie. Luz went over to the large stall where the goats were kept in, opening the door to let them out into the pasture before going to grab their food.

As the teen made her way up the stairs that lead to the loft, she was careful to keep an eye open. Eda had told her that an owl was living in the barn, and she had been trying to spot the bird all week, without success. As she finally reached the upper level, she kept her eyes peeled upward, hoping to see the elusive bird.

Because of this, she didn’t notice the body lying in the bales and proceeded to step right on Eda’s stomach. The sleeping woman jolted awake with a pained gasp, and Luz let out a squeak as she stumbled back. She fell back onto the wooden floor, shocked to see the missing woman laying in the loft, now clutching her crushed stomach.

“God, kid, are ya that mad at me?” Eda wheezed, slowly sitting up. Wisps of hay were stuck in her messy hair, and she wore the same clothes from yesterday, although now much dirtier. Luz just shook her head, letting out a stuttering laugh.

“What the heck are you doing sleeping in the barn?” Luz questioned, both getting up from their spots on the floor. Eda dusted herself off, chuckling as she picked clods of dirt from her shirt.

“Saw your mother sittin’ downstairs through the window last night. Didn’t want to deal with that, so I slept here.”

“Well, that was a smart move on your part. Mami looked ready to kill last night, she was really upset.”

Eda let out another chuckle, this one more guilty sounding. An awkward silence descended on the two, neither speaking. Luz rubbed the back of her head out of habit, not sure what to say. The goats could still be heard below, bleating for their food as the two stood up in the loft.

Eventually, Eda sighed, breaking the silence. Luz watched her, a guilty expression plastered on the country woman's face. It was uncharacteristic of Eda to be anything other than confident, and the woman seemed to be having trouble finding her words.

“I’m sorry I split on ya yesterday, kid,” she started, staring at the ground, nervous to meet Luz’s gaze. “It was a shit thing of me to do. I had… other stuff to do, but I shouldn’t have left ya.”

Eda clammed up then, not sure what else to say. She looked like she expected Luz to be mad, or upset. She didn’t expect arms wrapping around her as the teen suddenly hugged her. Luz felt Eda stiffen at the sudden contact, and looked up to find her looking bewildered.

“You're lucky I'm the forgiving type,” Luz sighed, letting go and stepping up to give Eda a small smile. “It's going to take a lot more than that to get Mami to let you off the hook.”

Eda stood blank faced for a minute, before returning the smile. “Thanks, Luz.”

The two then made their way down from the loft, Eda helping carry the goat's hay. As they clomped down the steps, Luz still had a question for the countrywoman.

“Hey Eda, what was so important that you left?”

“....I’ll tell ya later, kid.”

The answer didn’t satisfy Luz, but she didn’t press the matter. Eda was going to have a hard enough time surviving the wrath of Camila as it was.

While Camila and Eda had their ‘discussion’ downstairs, Luz went up to her room. She closed her door to muffle any potential shouting, before moving to the window seat, plopping down on one of the many pillows adorning it. Luz made herself comfortable, taking out her phone to scroll through her texts.

A lot had happened yesterday, and despite just waking up, Luz felt tired. The life of a teenager was already stressful as it was, but the emotional rollercoaster Luz had ridden yesterday? With Eda going M.I.A. and discovering her… feelings for Amity? The girl dramatically sighed, despite the lack of audience. It certainly had been exhausting.

Luz tapped her phone screen, going into the group chat she had made for herself, Gus, and Willow. It only had a few short conversations, and Luz quickly scanned over them before typing out a new message.

‘hey, u guys wanna hang out today?’

She didn’t have to wait long for an answer, a buzz signaling a new message from Gus.

‘sure! im free! what do you want to do?’

Luz grinned, typing in her reply.

‘ive haven’t really been in town yet. is there anything fun 2 do there?’

‘ya!! theres a downtown area we can walk around, and a diner we can get lunch at!’

‘cool! id be down 4 that :-) lets see what willow thinks”

Thankfully, the third member of the trio happened to hop in right then.

‘Ya, I’m good with that. I can come pick you up Luz, then we can meet Gus in town.’

‘awsome! see u guys there! :p’

Luz stood up, throwing her phone on her bed before beginning to dress. Spending time with Willow and Gus would be fun, as well as a nice escape from any craziness that might happen at the farmhouse today. Camila’s voice could already be heard from downstairs, giving Eda a verbal beating on why you shouldn’t abandon a child at school.

Luz finished her outfit off by placing her grandmother's cowboy hat on her head, the old felt fitting comfortably. It was colder today, the first brisk autumn wind having rolled in last night, and she had already slipped a flannel on to combat the breeze. Luz quickly glanced herself over in the mirror, shooting herself a pair of finger guns, before grabbing a bag and making her way downstairs.

In the living room, Luz found a scene that resembled something from a soap drama. Eda was slumped in a chair, looking like she wanted to die. Camila was standing firmly in front of her, arms wildly waving as she berated the other woman. It would have been funny if it hadn’t also been so awkward for Luz, and the teen cleared her throat, drawing the attention of the two women.

“Hey, Mami, me, Willow, and Gus have plans to go to town and walk around. Is that ok?” Luz asked, hoping her mother wouldn’t reject the request.

“Oh, of course, mija,” Camila said, quickly coming over to give Luz a small hug. Camila shot Eda a glare, the redhead sinking deeper into her seat. “Do you have a _ride?_ ” 

“Si, mami. No te preocupes, Willow is driving me.”

“Ok. Stay safe, mija, and have fun. And text me when you get there.”

“Ok, mami.” Luz gave her mother one last hug, before heading towards the door. She gave Eda a small wave as she passed, the older woman returning it, although with a lot less enthusiasm. Luz could hear her mother go back to scolding Eda even before she finished closing the door. 

King looked up at Luz as she came onto the porch, moving to the steps so she could wait for Willow. The dog yawned, getting up from his spot so he could come sit by the girl, demanding pets. Luz chuckled, scratching King behind the ears, listening to the muffled shouting from inside.

It didn’t take long for Willow to arrive, an old jeep kicking up dust along the road leading up to the farmhouse. Luz stood as the car rolled to a stop, skipping up to the passenger’s door. She opened it to be greeted with a smile, Willow turning down the radio as her friend got in the car.

“Howdy, Luz! How ya been?” Willow chirped, pulling back onto the road as soon as Luz was buckled in. The jeep’s interior was clean and smelt like herbs, soft rock playing quietly from the stereo. Luz immediately relaxed in her seat, already feeling some of her stress melt away.

“Good. Had a crazy night, but I’m feeling better now,” Luz replied. She didn’t even try explaining the events that had unfolded yesterday, not wanting to burden Willow with that drama. Better to focus on today. “I’m excited to go into town! I’ve been too busy until now.”

“Well, I hope it lives up to your expectations. Gus said he’d meet us by the antique shop, then we can move up mainstreet from there.”

“Oooh, cool! Do they have anything weird or haunted there?”

“Well, if you're interested in taxidermy it has plenty of that. Those certainly are... creepy.”

“Neat!”

The car ride continued like that, the two talking about random thoughts as they popped into their heads, chatting as they passed through the fields to town. In a moment of comfortable silence, Luz thought to herself how glad she was to have a friend now. There was no one in the city she had ever been this comfortable with, not with all the bullying she endured. It was nice to just talk. 

Unfortunately, like most things lately, the calm didn’t last long. She happened to glance down then, and by mistake caught a glimpse of her dyed hand. Immediately, the lull was broken, and a light blush covered her cheeks. She groaned to herself, covering her face in embarrassment as Willow gave her a questioning glance.

“What's wrong, Luz?”

“Nothing, nothing..” Luz tried to lie, only for Willow to look at her with disbelief. Luz rubbed the back of her head, trying to think. It’d be embarrassing to tell Willow about her newfound crush on Amity, but it couldn’t hurt to ask about the other girl, right? “Just saw my hand and was thinking about the greenhand ceremony. And… Amity.”

“Oh, her?” Willow snorted, rolling her eyes at the other girl's name. “I wouldn’t blame you if you were mad that she was the one to dye your hand.”

Luz frowned at her friend's reply. “I’m not mad. She stopped Boscha from punching me, remember?”

“And then called us _filth_ right after, Luz. She’s always been mean like that, ever since we were little kids.” Willows grip on the wheel tightened, and Luz swore she could see hate in her friends normally calm eyes.

“Oh, common Willow, Amity can’t be _that_ bad,” Luz tried to reason with her. Willow had obviously known Amity a lot longer than Luz, but the city-slicker felt the need to defend her crush. “She was nice enough to give me a ride home yesterday.” 

“What!?” Willow whipped around in her seat to look at Luz, the jeep swerving on the road at the sudden tug on the wheel. Luz let out a shriek as the car began to veer off-road, before Willow quickly whipped the wheel back, the motion lashing the girls about in the car. It took a frightening few seconds before they were corrected and the jeep was back on track, continuing down the road as if nothing had happened.

Both girls were silent for a few tense moments, adrenaline running through their veins at the near-death experience. Luz was the first to vocalize, letting out a shaky sigh as she ran a hand through her hair. She looked over at Willow, who was white-knuckled gripping the wheel, face frozen in a startled expression. Luz, brought her hand down, tapping her fingers on her leg.

“So, I’m guessing that Amity giving me a ride is _kinda_ a big deal?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been a bit, hasn't it?  
> Sorry for the long wait, but also, chapters might take longer to come out because I've got alot of stuff going on in my life right now. I feel the writing in this chapter is a little funky (emotions are hard) but I hope it doesn't affect the reading experience
> 
> Also, I just want to say thank you guys. I know this is probably cheesy, but it does mean alot to me when you guys leave comments and tell me how much you guys like the fic, or relate to different parts of it (alot more people know about FFA than I thought). I don't respond to every comment, since I have trouble expressing myself online sometimes, but I do read all of them and I just wanted to say thank you. I'm glad you all are enjoying the fic, and I hope you'll stick around till the end


	6. Black Heart Diner

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Bocha stans, come get y'all juice

“What?!” Gus reacted just as strongly when Willow told him what Luz had said, the boy throwing his arms up in the air. A couple walking past gave him an alarmed look at his outburst before they continued past. The trio was parked at the end of mainstreet, standing in front of the antique shop as they had planned. Luz had wanted to start walking right away, but Gus was having an impromptu freak out at the news Willow had told him. “She gave you a ride?”

“Well, it’s more like the twins did, really,” Luz stammered, trying to calm her friend down. “They were the ones who offered. And actually drove.”

“I’m surprised she didn’t try and stop them.” Willow had her arms crossed in front of her, giving a disappointed look to the other girl. Luz rolled her eyes, which only resulted in her friend shaking her head. “Or convince them to just leave you there.”

Gus chimed in. “Or drop you off in the middle of nowhere!”

“Alright, I think you guys are overacting just a tad,” Luz huffed, throwing her arms up in an exasperated manner. Gus and Willow were acting like she had escaped being stabbed, and the fact that they were continuously insulting the girl Luz had a crush on was making her frustrated. “Amity wasn’t mean at all, I don’t get why you guys hate her so much!”

“You don’t know her like we do, Luz.” Willow seemed to deflate then, the previous bite dropping from her voice. The shift was immediately noticed by the other two, and Gus went to stand by Willow, putting a comforting hand on her shoulder. Luz was at a loss for words, not expecting her friend to become so disheartened by her question. They stood like that for a moment, the quiet almost overwhelming before Willow spoke again, her voice much softer now.

“When I was little, me and Amity used to be friends. But one day, she just… stopped hanging out with me. Ditched me for Boscha. And now, she acts like I don’t even exist.” Willow's hands clenched the edge of her shirt, looking down to hide her face from the other two. “She lets Boscha bully me and Gus, and doesn’t even bat an eye. I don’t want something similar to happen to you too, Luz.”

The bespectacled girl fell silent then, glasses hiding her teary eyes. The confession seemed to have taken all of Willow's anger, now leaving only the painful memories present in her mind. Luz immediately regretted her prior words, going up and gently hugging her friend, Gus doing the same. They could both hear Willow quietly sniffle as she tried to keep herself from crying.

Luz felt terrible. She hadn’t meant to upset Willow, now realizing the other girl was only trying to protect her friend. Even if her own experiences with Amity hadn’t been that bad, Willow and Gus obviously had a bad history with her. Luz, patting her friends back, made a decision right then.

“I’m sorry, Willow.” Luz pulled back, to look at both her friends. “I didn’t know about your guy’s history with her. From now on, I’ll try and stay away from Amity.” She would be lying if she said the promise didn’t hurt, having to give up on her newly discovered crush. But the smile that appeared on both Willow and Gus’ faces help dull the ache a little.

After that, the trio cheered themselves up by walking down mainstreet as planned. Luz thought Bonesborough was a little strange with all the weird shops that made up the old town, but she decided she definitely liked it. The city-slicker was more interested in all the stores than Gus and Willow, but the two country folk had fun recounting old memories for their friend.

By the time they were done, it was lunchtime. Luz was famished, having forgotten to eat anything that morning, and she was excited to go to the diner Gus was currently raving about.

“You’ll love it, Luz!” he exclaimed, walking backward so he could look face the girls. “All their produce is local, and everything tastes amazing! Probably better than anything you’ve ever tasted in the city!” Luz laughed at his enthusiasm, shaking her head.

“I don’t know. We have some pretty good pizza places in the city.”

“Oooh, really? What kind of pizza? Are they big? Do you really have to fold the slices in half to eat them?”

Willow giggled at all the questions Gus asked while Luz tried to rapidly answer them. It wasn’t long before they came upon the diner, the restaurant positioned on the block corner. A small neon sign displayed BLACK BEAR DINER, and a few wooden bears sculptures framed the doors as decoration. 

Luz’s mouth immediately started watering as they entered the diner, the smell of bacon and pancakes filling the room. The bear decor continued into the restaurant, and Luz’s head was on a swivel as they were seated, trying to take it all in.

“This place is adorable!” Luz squealed, sliding into the booth, taking off her hat, and putting it on the seat beside her. Willow and Gus sat across from her, Gus tapping his hands on the table to mimic his friend's excitement. Their hostess handed them menus, before leaving them. Luz was pleased to find that the paper was also decorated with bears.

The trio quickly ordered on behalf of Luz, who was starving by that point. Willow calmly ordered a salad, while Gus and Luz egged each other on to order the biggest sandwiches they could. Willow only stepped in when Gus tried to convince Luz to order a milkshake.

They talked until their food arrived, to Luz’s delight. She immediately inhaled most of her sandwich, finally settling her growling stomach. She sighed contently, leaning back in her seat as she wiped her mouth with a napkin.

“Wow, you sure were hungry,” Gus quipped, still finishing his own sandwich. “Didn’t ya eat anything for breakfast?”

“Nope.” Luz threw the used napkin onto her plate. “I forgot to because of the whole Eda situation.”

“What’s the Eda situation?” Willow questioned, cocking an eyebrow. Luz mentally hit her forehead, cursing her slip of the tongue. She hadn't wanted to bring up the drama concerning Eda, especially not after seeing how worried her friends got over Amity. So she decided to tell only a small part of the truth.

“Oh, I uh, just found her sleeping in the barn this morning, is all,” Luz stammered, picking at the crumbs on her plate nervously. “My mom was kinda mad about it.”

“What weird things was she doing in there? Summoning spirits?” Gus questioned, earning him a sharp elbow from Willow. As he rubbed the sore spot on his ribs, Luz rolled her eyes.

“I still don’t get why you think my farm is haunted. Like, I get calling it the Owl Farm cause of Eda living there, but it's not scary or anything.”

“It’s probably cause it’s so hidden and near the woods,” Willow speculated, putting her fork down. “I mean, a woman known locally as the ‘Owl Lady’, living on a farm near the woods that can only be seen if you actively seek it out? It’s a perfect horror story.”

“And I’ve heard there are rumors of strange noises at night. People hear screams from there!” Gus added, throwing his arms up for emphasis. While Luz knew the ‘screaming’ probably came from the goats, she had to admit that the set up was perfect for starting a rumor mill.

“I guess I can see your point.” She grinned as a thought came to her. “Maybe we can do a haunted house on Halloween!”

The conversation strayed the upcoming holiday at that, and soon the other two were done with their food. Luz excused herself to the restroom, wanting to go before they left.

As she washed her hands in the sink, she couldn’t help but glance at her green hand again. This time, though, it only managed to bring a light blush to her cheeks, and a sigh to leave her mouth.

Luz’s feelings about Amity had gone back to being confusing once again, although this time she knew why. She was conflicted about whether she should nicely ask her how she was enjoying the Good Witch Azura book she had lent her, or curse her out for being mean to Willow and Gus. It would have been simpler if Amity had also been mean to her, but instead, the country girl had charmed her way into Luz’s heart, causing the moral battle Luz now found herself in.

As she dried her hands, however, Luz decided to stick with her earlier promise to Gus and Willow. Luz had never gotten the chance to have friends in the city. She wasn’t going to make her Willow and Gus worry. It would be difficult, but she would stay away from Amity.

With that problem resolved and her hands dried, Luz confidently made her way out of the bathroom, heading back to her table. Only to find the girl she was trying to avoid.

To be fair, it wasn’t just Amity. Boscha was with her also, the bullies arm wrapped around the other girl’s shoulders as she glared down at Gus and Willow. Luz was internally panicking as she quickly made her way over to the table, catching the last of Boscha’s taunting.

“--beat Glandus last night, and I’m sure that streak will continue into our FFA tournament,” Boscha sneered, puffing out her chest to display the letter on her letterman’s jacket. Amity had one as well on her own jacket, but she simply rolled her eyes at her friend’s display. “Horse judging is going show up your dumb flower event for sure.”

While Gus was trying his best not to be seen, Willow looked peeved. She glared up at Boscha from her seat, arms crossed in defiance. “Do you not realize that you're saying you want your own school to lose? Or are you just that stupid?”

Boscha paused for a moment, before realizing she had just been insulted. She snarled, standing up straight and slamming a hand down on the table. Luz decided now was probably a good time to intervene, before someone got hurt.

“Hey, Boscha!” Luz said, drawing the other group's attention to herself as she came to stand by the table. Willow and Gus looked relieved by their friend's arrival, while Boscha looked even more pissed. Luz didn’t have a good view of Amity, the girls' view being blocked by Boscha standing between them, but she could have sworn she saw a shocked look on the country girl's face.

“Oh, look,” Boscha scoffed, crossing her arms as she faced the shorter girl. “City-slicker’s coming to save her friends again.”

“It’s Luz. And don’t you have anything better to do than bug us?” Luz shot back, mimicking the other girl's stance. She glanced over to see Willow and Gus slide quietly out of their seats, taking advantage of the distraction. Her attention went back to Boscha, however, as the other girl stepped closer to get in her face.

“Someone’s gotta remind you loser’s of your place. Can’t have some  _ city-slicker  _ showing me up, can I?” Boscha brought a hand up, lightly shoving Luz back. The sudden move would have made Luz stumble, if she hadn’t suddenly felt a supporting hand on her shoulder.

“No one likes a bully, Boscha.” Willow and Gus came to stand beside Luz, both giving the other girl matching glares. Luz was glad for the support, reaching over to pick up her hat and leave. She was done talking with Boscha.

But Boscha wasn’t done talking with her. As Luz brought her hat back, Boscha suddenly snatched it from her hand, not giving the other girl time to react. She mockingly put in on her head, chuckling.

“Oh, I see. City-slicker gets a group of friends and new hat, and suddenly thinks she's a bad bitch.” Boscha began to walk closer again, a dangerous look in her eye. She only paused when she felt a sudden tug on her sleeve.

“Boscha, this is goin’ a little too far,” Amity murmured, a hand gripping the other girl’s sleeve. Her eyebrows were furrowed together, and corners of her mouth drawn down as she tried to dissuade her companion. But Boscha wasn’t to be stopped, not even looking over at Amity as she continued to stalk towards the trio.

“Let me tell you something,” she said, once again getting in Luz’s face. The shorter girl glared up, determined not to let Boscha beat her in whatever mind game she was trying to play. But she’d be lying if she said Boscha’s next words didn’t make tears prick the corners of her eyes. 

“You may have those two, but that doesn’t mean  _ shit _ . You’ll never really belong here.”

There was a pause as everyone felt Boscha’s words sink in. From an outside perspective, they would have sounded cliché, like something out of a dumb highschool movie. Except they hurt  _ so much _ . Luz felt the tears threaten to spill as she still glared at Boscha. The bully only smirked.

Until Boscha was suddenly yanked back and out of Luz’s face. Luz felt Willow and Gus pulling her away, towards the door and out of the diner. Though it was hard to see through her watery eyes, Luz could make out Amity yelling at Boscha, a pissed look on her face as she swiped the cowboy hat off the other girl's head. But the last thing Luz saw before she left the diner?

Amity’s face, with a look that so clearly said, “I’m sorry”.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If anyone is trying to pinpoint the state where this story is supposed to be set, I am happy to tell you that I literally have no idea.
> 
> Bit of a shorter chapter this time, but also some more drama. Next chapter will most likely be a longer one, so sorry if that takes a bit of time to get out. In case I'm not done writing it in time, I just want to wish everyone a happy Halloween! Stay safe, and if you are passing out candy, make sure everything is pre-wrapped for safety, and you use a candy shoot or gloves to prevent anyone from getting possibly sick! Have a fun night!


	7. Cold Winds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'll edit this tomorrow, im too tired and didn't want to keep you guys waiting.
> 
> Update: All fixed! Should be a smoother read now.

It took Luz almost an hour to calm back down after the trio fled from the diner. Willow had loaded them into her car and driven them to Gus’s house, which was close by and thankfully empty. 

Luz felt pathetic, trying to hide her tears with little success as Gus led them up the stairs to his room. The tidy room that greeted them might have drawn more interest from the girl if she wasn’t so preoccupied with scrubbing her eyes with her sleeve, desperate to make the tears stop.

They only paused when Luz felt the sudden weight of a blanket surround her, followed by hugs from both her friends. Willow rested her head on top of Luz’s, while Gus rested his on her shoulder. The action seemed almost instinctive to the two, and under normal circumstances might have calmed Luz. But at that moment, they only made her cry harder.

“I’m sorry, you guys.” Luz hiccupped, releasing an arm from the blanket and her friend's grip to wipe at her nose. She felt the arms around her tighten at the surprise apology, sensing her friend's bewilderment.

“Luz, you have nothing to apologize for.” Willow moved to gently pull her friend's arm away from her face. Luz found Willow looking at her gently, eyebrows knit together in sympathy.

“Yeah, Boscha doesn’t know what she’s talking about,” Gus agreed, moving to sit in front of Luz. His hand waved dismissively at the mention of the bully, rolling his eyes as if even saying her name was a crime. “She’s just jealous that you probably know lots of cool people in the city, and come from someplace so amazing.”

Gus’s attempt at building up her confidence caused Luz to give a half-hearted laugh. If only he knew how off base he was.

Luz felt that Boscha was right. She never belonged in the city. Nobody understood her there. She had thought moving to the country was going to be a fresh start, a new chance. But here she was. Crying, wrapped up in blankets because somebody had said something mean to her again. Bullied for being different. The only difference between this today and the countless times this same event had happened before was the two other people with her.

“Y’know,” she croaked, looking up at the other two. “You guys don’t have to do this.”

“Uh, yes we do.” Gus stated it like it was common sense, earning an exasperated sigh from Willow.

“What Gus  _ means  _ is that we're your friends.” She wrapped both her arms around Luz again, Gus mimicking her. “And this is what friends do. We help you when you're sad, no matter what.”

Again, it sounded so cliche. And, again, it made tears come to Luz’s eyes. But this time, as Luz wrapped her own arms around her friends, she managed a smile.

The only difference between this crying session and all the others was just Willow and Gus. But what a big difference they made.

When Luz finally made it home, the sun was just starting to go down. A cold wind had crept upon them, and Luz could see the waves shifting in the grass. Gray clouds have blown in, and cast their shadows down upon the fields.

The car ride was quiet, the music barely audible over the rumbles that came as the jeep drove down the old road. Luz’s head leaned against the cold glass of the window, eyes closed as she appreciated the peaceful moment. Willow was humming along to the radio, her voice fading in and out with each song.

Luz opened her eyes as she felt the car turn off onto her road, the ride becoming bumpier. She brought her head up as the Owl Farm crept into view, the woods creating a dark backdrop for the house. The kitchen light was on, and Luz could see someone moving behind the drawn curtain.

Willow pulled the jeep to a stop, Luz unbuckling her seat belt even before the car was parked. Before Willow could react, Luz turned to her, leaning over the center console to give an awkward hug. The gear shift was currently stabbing her in the stomach, but Luz didn’t let the pain deter her.

“Thanks, Willow.” Luz felt the other girl return the hug. 

“Anytime, Luz. Me and Gus will always be here if you need us.” The hug lasted a few more seconds, before Luz broke it off, getting out of the car. She could see Willow waving to her as the girl drove off, dust obscuring her friend as the jeep drove out of sight. Luz sighed, before turning to face her house.

King greeted her as she opened the door, tail wagging as he headbutted her legs. Luz gave him a pat on the head, before turning to the kitchen, enticed by the smells wafting down the hall. She didn’t really want to talk to Eda or her mother, but she at least wanted to see what was for dinner.

Eda was the only one in the kitchen, and to Luz’s relief, her back was to the door. She was standing over the stove, stirring a big pot of what looked like some sort of stew. From what Luz could see, Eda looked like a mess, the normally upbeat women slouching over the stove, hair unkempt, and wearing the same clothes from yesterday. Luz couldn’t see her face, but she was sure she had bags under her eyes. Luz knew from personal experience how long her mother's rants could last.

The teen snuck upstairs, tiptoeing past her mother’s closed-door before finally reaching the safety of her room. Luz flopped onto her bed face first, groaning as she tried kicking off her shoes.

Operation Have-A-Relaxing-Day had not gone as smoothly as she planned. Luz felt like she couldn’t catch a break. The diner fiasco was another stressful event to add to her growing list, along with crying in her friend's room. Boscha would probably murder her on Monday. And Amity…

Luz groaned again, flipping over to lie on her back. She was met with the blank ceiling of her room, the perfect void in which to lose herself in thought. Which she did, eyes following a crack in the plaster as she wallowed in her own feelings.

Operation Avoid-Amity had  _ also  _ not gone smoothly. It had failed, in fact, as soon as she had left that bathroom. And to worsen the burn, Gus and Willow had been right. She had let Boscha bully Luz and her friends and had done barely anything to stop it.

The only thing that was keeping Luz hating Amity at that moment was what happened as Luz and her friends had left the diner. That  _ look.  _ That sorry gaze that Amity had as she watched her flee. Luz couldn’t make any sense of it, and the more she thought of it the more it gnawed at her insides, leaving her feeling sick.

Her mulling was interrupted by a knock on the door, and Luz turned to find her mother peeking her head in.

“Hola, mija,” Camila murmured, pushing the door open. She held a steaming bowl in her hands, and she came over to hand it to Luz. “Eda said she heard you come in, so I thought I’d bring your dinner up.”

“Thanks, mami.” Luz took the bowl, recognizing the contents as jambalaya. She blew on a spoonful before taking a bite, the spicy meal tasting heavenly. Her mother came to sit next to her on the bed, sighing as she sunk into the mattress. Camila looked just as tired as Eda, taking her glasses off to rub the bridge of her nose. 

“Did you have a fun day with your friends?” Camila asked, putting her glasses back on to look at her daughter. Luz shrugged, taking another bite of her dinner.

“Ya, it was cool. Bonesborough has a lot more shops than I thought.”

“That's good.”

“...did you and Eda talk? Or is she sleeping in the barn again tonight?”

Camila sighed, rubbing the back of her neck. “...we worked things out.”

Luz cocked an eyebrow. “You didn’t kick her out, did you?”

“Luz, you know I can’t do that. Y dejar de hacer preguntas. No es nada de tu business,” Camila scolded, gently slapping Luz’s leg.

“Ok, ok.” Luz giggled at her mother's antics, putting her bowl on her nightstand. 

“Eda and I talked, and she apologized. And she promised it wouldn’t happen again. That is all you need to know.”

“Really? You forgave her? You looked like you wanted to chop her head off this morning.”

“And I say you forgave her too easily. She told me about the conversation you guys had in the barn.”

Luz laughed, rubbing the back of her head. “Well, maybe I knew how you were gonna react.”

Camila got up, kissing Luz’s head and taking the empty bowl. “Or maybe I just raised an amazing daughter.”

Luz snorted, rolling her eyes as her mom left her room. She felt much better now, with food in her stomach and talk with her mom. The sun was setting now, casting her room in a golden glow, and as Luz lay back, she almost felt like she could fall asleep.

Until a sudden buzz from her phone jolted her to attention. She felt around on her bed until she found the device, expecting the text to be from Willow or Gus. Instead, she squeaked, dropping her phone as if it had burned her.

The text was from Amity.

Luz quickly rubbed her hands together in an attempt to warm them, her breath making clouds in the early morning air. She was at Hexside, standing behind the Ag. building at the edge of the field. Amity had told her to meet her there before school started.

That invite was the only thing Amity had texted her. Luz hadn’t responded, not sure whether or not she should. The text had provided no other context, only asking to meet her on Monday morning.

Luz had spent all of Sunday debating whether or not to actually agree. On one hand, she didn’t want to disappoint Willow and Gus by hanging out with Amity. On the other hand, she was kinda mad about the whole diner incident. And on the other hand… the look.

Eventually, Luz made up her mind to go. Like her mom said, she was the forgiving type. Whatever Amity said, Luz was sure she could take it. And if she was disappointed with the outcome, she could always give the girl a piece of her mind.

With that resolved, all Luz had to do was ask Eda to take her to school early. The countrywoman hadn’t been too thrilled with the idea, but a quick glare from Camila had her quickly agreeing. Which is how Luz found herself at Hexside a whole hour before school started, freezing to death.

“Oh,” someone murmured, causing Luz to turn around. There stood Amity, one hand shoved in the jacket of her jacket while the other clutched the strap of her backpack. “I didn’t think ya’d actually come.”

“Yeah, well,” Luz sniffed, continuing to rub her hands together. “If I had known it’d be this cold I wouldn’t have.”

“Sorry for meetin’ ya so early.” Amity stepped closer to actually stand in front of the other girl, looking down at her. She looked sheepish, awkward. “I kinda wanted it to be just us.”

Despite the cold, Luz felt her cheeks flush a little as the other girl got closer. She tried to shake off the distracting feeling, crossing her arms to look up at Amity. “Well, goal accomplished.”

“Yup…” Amity chuckled, fingers fiddling with the strap of her bag. A moment of silence hung between them, the cold silencing everything except their own breathing. Amity was the one to break it, sliding her backpack off her shoulder to unzip it.

“Here. I, uh, thought ya might want this back.” Luz was shocked to find her hat suddenly shoved in front of her. Amity couldn’t look her in the eye as Luz gently took the cowboy hat, surprised to have it returned. She thought Boscha would have tried to destroy it.

“It wasn’t right for Boscha to take that from ya, a-and I know that I shoulda stopped her, and I shoulda said something,” Amity rambled, eyes looking anywhere but Luz’s face. Luz could only watch as the other girl stumbled over her own words, clutching her hat to her chest.

Amity eventually stopped, sighing as she ran a hand over her face. She finally met Luz’s gaze, wearing that same expression she had at the diner. “What I’m tryin’ to say is, I’m sorry Luz. And… I hope ya won’t hate me.”

She fell silent then, waiting for Luz to respond. Luz looked down at the ground, mulling over what to say. She clutched the brim of the hat, feeling like she had snakes squirming in her stomach.

“...I don’t hate you, Amity.” Luz looked up to find a surprised expression on the other girl's face. “And I’m thankful you brought my hat back.”

A soft smile appeared on Amity’s face, delight and gratitude lighting up the girl’s eyes. Luz could feel her cheeks heating up again from the look, and she brought her hat up to avoid the view. “Just don’t let it happen again.”

Luz almost squeaked when she felt the hat being pulled down, a determined-looking Amity leaning in. “Luz, I promise I won’t let Boscha pick on ya ever again. I swear.” 

Luz flushed. “A-awesome possum, dude.” 

She wanted to smack herself. Why did she say that? As Luz mentally tortured herself, she didn’t notice what Amity was doing until she suddenly felt a weight on her shoulders. The taller girl had taken off her jacket, wrapping it around the other girl.

“Ya can keep that for now,” Amity drawled, zipping up her backpack and placing it on her shoulder. “Ya looked cold.”

Luz couldn’t say anything, only weakly waving as Amity set off, saying something about how she would see her later. Luz was left standing there, one hand clutching her cowboy hat, the other pulling the grey jacket material closer.

Funny thing was, Luz wasn’t cold anymore. Not with that blush on her cheeks.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Been a while, ain't it?
> 
> Finally finished this chapter, I hammered most of it out it one sitting so if anything seems funky that's why. I was originally gonna make the end more angsty, but I thought after last chapter you guys deserve some fluff.
> 
> Also, onionrinqs on tumblr (aka, the person who's art this story is inspired by) made more art from the fanfic and???? its beautiful? and amazing? and I demand you go check them out and give them love. They also made a little comic based on the BBD scene, and its really cute, go look.  
> 
> 
> *Since I just edited, I also wanted to show another art piece they made for this chapter and dfgfdsk. I cried, this piece is just *chef's kiss* again, GO CHECK THEM OUT  
> 


	8. My Favorite Cow's A Brown Swiss

Despite the cold, Luz took off the jacket when other students began showing up at school. If popular media had taught her anything, it was that wearing someone else's clothes usually meant that they were your ‘significant other’. And while that thought made one part of her giddy with delight, the more logical part of her feared what others would think, especially Willow and Gus. So the jacket was stored away in her backpack, along with her hat, leaving Luz freezing once again. At least her classrooms were heated.

The thought that occupied her mind all day wasn’t the jacket though. It was the promise that Amity had made her. That look in her eye, saying she wouldn’t let Boscha pick on her anymore, the way she had held her hand. The scene played over and over in her head, distracting her throughout her classes. Even Willow and Gus noticed.

“Hey Luz, you good?” Gus waved his hand in front of the girl’s face, snapping her back to reality. Luz shook her head, looking up to see both her friends give her a concerned look. They were in the ag. room once again, waiting for the bell to ring. Other students were chatting in their own groups, but luckily for Luz, neither Amity nor Boscha had shown up yet.

Luz waved her hand, giving a nervous grin to her friends. “Yup, I’m good. Just worried about…” Luz racked her brain for an excuse, while Willow and Gus patiently waited. The girl looked around the room for inspiration, and luckily, it came when Viney walked into class. “...worried about memorizing for vet science!”

“Oh, that's all?” Gus drummed out a beat on the table, looking over to Viney as well. “It can’t be that hard, can it?”

Luz cringed, sheepishly rubbing the back of her head. She would have agreed with Gus’s statement if she had actually taken the time to study over the weekend. Luz had been so distracted, hanging out with her friends, getting bullied by Boscha, and then worrying about Amity’s text, the thought of studying had completely slipped her mind. She had tried to cram the dog breeds during lunch, but she was doubtful that she’d get many right.

At least Willow emphasized with her. The spectacled girl sighed, nervously pushing up her glasses.

“It’s more than just memorizing their names, Gus. You have to be able to identify different species from each other, and the judges always try to trick you by changing the color or showing you different life cycles of the plant. At least, that's how it is in floriculture.”

The boy frowned. “Oh. That does sound kinda hard. But hey!” He smiled at both the girls, giving them both a thumbs up. “I’m sure you guys will do great! You have a week to study before the first competition, I’m sure it’ll be fine.”

Luz almost choked. “The first competition is in  _ one week!? _ ” How did she not know about this? If she didn’t have even most of the dog breeds memorized, how would she learn everything else? She was doomed. 

Unfortunately for Luz, the bell then rang, signaling the start of class. The class quieted down as everyone moved to their seats, Willow giving Luz a sympathetic look as she went to sit down. Luz just slumped further into her seat, resting her head on her folded arms.

As everyone settled, Eda came to stand in front of the class, coffee mug in hand. The bags under her eyes and frown on her face quieted the last whispering students as they waited for their teacher to speak.

“Alright, kids. Now, normally I’d have Amity come on up here and give us a rundown of last week, but today…” She then interrupted herself, taking a long sip from her mug before continuing. “I don’t care. Just get in yer CDE groups and practice, or do yer homework. Free day people, don’t waste it.”

A cheerful murmur spread throughout the class, and soon, people were breaking up into their small groups. Luz saw Gus give her one last thumbs up before turning to his own work, and she returned it with a weak smile. Her Vet Science group was already gathered in a corner of the class, and she took one last deep breath before walking over to them.

They were gathered around a table, papers and pictures spread all over. Viney was standing over them, sorting as she rapidly rambled about different memorization strategies. Barcus was sitting down, arms calmly crossed in front of him as he listened to his friend talk. Barcus was a lot quieter than Viney, but Luz decided that she liked both of the seniors. They had been excited to have her join the group, and they seemed to know what they were doing.

Then there was Amity. Luz ended up sitting between her and Barcus, across from Viney. She managed a quick glance at the other girl, finding her lazily leaning back in her chair. Amity had her arms crossed and looked over when Luz sat down, giving the other girl a smirk. Luz tried to ignore the blush that came to her face.

“Alright, guys,” Viney said, grabbing the group's attention. “I’ve got less than a week to teach you guys basically everything about vet science. Some of you might not make it…” She stopped to lean on the table, glaring at everyone. Luz was once again reminded of her rush studying and nervously swallowed. But then Viney smiled, chuckling to herself.

“Nah, just kidding. But we do have a lot to memorize, so let's get started!” Viney started handing out packets to everyone, Barcus rolling his eyes at his friends' antics. Amity chuckled, and Luz nervously joined her, accepting the heavy packet Viney gave her. The packet was labeled  _ Complete Guide to Vet Science, _ and as Luz flipped through it she found a rather daunting amount of information to learn.

Viney cleared her throat, before passing out another piece of paper. “First off, let's see how well we can remember our dog breeds!”

Crap.

Luz was glad when the bell finally rang, everyone rushing to leave. While she hadn’t done as bad on Viney’s pop quiz as she thought she would, Luz still came in last with her score. Viney said it was no big deal, that she would get them eventually, but it was still embarrassing to get such a low score in front of Amity. Thankfully, when they went over all the other animals Luz did much better, especially on the reptile identification.

Working with Amity, however, proved to be very distracting. When they went over the cattle breeds, Luz was surprised when Amity managed to guess all the breeds correctly on the first try.

“Wow, Amity, how’d you do that? I can’t even tell a brown swiss from a Longhorn, and you managed to get them all right!” Luz’s brow furrowed as she stared at the little pictures on her packet, trying to tell all the cows apart. Amity chuckled at the other girl's expression, drawing a smile from Luz.

“It ain’t that hard, really. Look,” Amity leaned over, draping an arm over the back of Luz’s chair, and pointing at the small pictures. “It’s less about color, and more about the shape of the cow. Now, you can tell a simmental from a hereford because they have a longer face, and…”

Amity continued to ramble on about the differences between cows, but Luz had stopped listening. The arm touching her back made her freeze up, and now that Amity’s face was right next to hers she could barely breathe. Luz had thought she had been managing her feelings well today, but with Amity so close Luz was once again turned into a blushing mess, barely listening.

Her silence didn’t go unnoticed though, and Amity turned towards her with a questioning look on her face. Their eyes locked, and even though Luz was internally freaking out, she also couldn’t help noticing that Amity’s eyes were hazel colored, almost gold in the bright light of the classroom.

The moment only lasted a couple of seconds, before Amity also realized how close they were. Luz was surprised to see a pink blush come to the other girl's cheeks, before Amity quickly pulled back, snapping into her own seat. Luz watched her splutter for a few seconds, before coughing and turning away. Viney and Barcus looked over from where they were studying, confused at the sudden interruption. Amity’s face only got more flushed.

“Just.. a tickle in my throat, s’all,” she spluttered. Barcus gave her a doubtful look, but went back to studying, along with Viney. Amity also returned to studying, purposefully looking away from Luz, leaving the other girl feeling disappointed in herself. Luz hadn’t meant to upset Amity, and now she was worried she had just made things awkward between them. But there wasn’t anything she could do besides look back down at her packet and study as well.

That’s why Luz found herself standing outside the ag. classroom, after she had said goodbye to Willow and Gus, waiting for Amity. The other girl came out after almost everyone had left, Boscha trailing behind her. Luz suddenly got nervous, having a flashback to the last time she interacted with the bully at the diner. She really didn’t need to have another experience like that. 

Thankfully, Amity seemed to remember her promise. When she saw Luz, a brief smile flashed on her face before she turned to Boscha, saying something Luz couldn’t pick up. The bully suddenly looked upset, and Luz watched from a distance as the two had what looked like a small argument. It ended when Amity walked away, leaving the other girl looking pissed. Luz just managed to catch the hateful glare Boscha sent her way before her attention was diverted back to her crush.

“Hey, city-slicker…” Amity drawled out as she came over, lazily holding onto the strap of her backpack. She had a small smile on her face, and Luz couldn’t help but return the warm gesture. The taller girl came to a stop right in front of Luz, and as the smaller girl looked up she was reminded of the situation earlier in class. This time though, Amity seemed to realize what she was doing, her smile changing into more of a smirk as the seconds ticked on. Luz tried to hide the incoming blush by looking down and digging into her bag.

“Here,” Luz quickly said, pulling out the jacket and holding it out. “Your jacket. Thanks for letting me borrow it this morning.” She looked away as Amity gently took the cloth from her hands, trying to collect herself. 

“Gotta admit,” Amity hummed, slipping the jacket back on herself. “Was a bit disappointed that I didn’t see ya wearing it in class.”

Luz felt the blood start to pool to her cheeks at that, hearing the smirk in Amity’s tone. She crossed her arms, chancing a glance at the other girl. “I wasn’t cold anymore.”

Amity only chuckled in response, cutting Luz a break. Luz gave a small laugh as well, hand coming up to rub the back of her head. A comfortable silence fell on them for a few fleeting seconds, before Luz decided now was as good as time as any to talk about what had happened.

“So, hey, um,” she nervously began, looking down at the ground. “I didn’t mean to stare at you like that in the classroom. I noticed how you freaked out, and I don’t want you to think I’m weird or anything-”

“It’s not that!” Luz’s eyes snapped back up to find a panicked Amity, hands tightly gripping the strap of her bag. “Sorry! I mean- I don’t think yur weird or anythin! I think yur real cool! I just didn’t realize how close we were until I looked up, and I was.. surprised, is all.”

“...Oh.” Luz blinked, her anxiety about the situation suddenly melting away. Now Amity was the one looking down, a hand coming up to nervously scratch at her face. Luz knew she should say more, but before she could they were suddenly interrupted.

“Hey, kid, ready to go?” Eda came out of the classroom, King right on her heels. She was twirling her keys on her finger, the fatigue from earlier replaced with the excitement of going home. Luz looked back to find Amity still standing there, uncertainty in her eyes.

“Just a sec, Eda.” Luz saw the older woman shrug and begin walking to her truck, before turning all her attention back to Amity. Luz didn’t want to leave the other girl feeling upset, so she tentatively reached her hand out, placing it on her arm. Amity’s eyes immediately shot up, meeting Luz’s, and the small girl managed a comforting smile. “Its ok, Amity. We can talk about it some other time.”

Amity could only nod in response, but Luz was relieved to at least see the worried look fade from her eyes. Luz stepped back, turning to catch up with Eda, but not before giving Amity one last wave and grin. “I’ll see ya tomorrow, Amity!”

She felt her heart leap when the other girl returned the gesture.

They didn’t end up talking about it, and no other similar accidents occurred either, but Luz and Amity did get closer that week as they studied. Luz learned that not only did Amity’s family own a ranch, they were also the top exporter of cattle in the region. She was also the captain of the football team, and one of the smartest students at Hexside. All info she probably could have gotten from Willow or Gus.

But she also learned that the other girl was just as into fantasy and fiction as her, although much more quietly. In between learning practicums and going over general knowledge for vet science, Luz would ask Amity how she was enjoying the fifth Azura book, which would earn her a slew of exciting retellings of the latest chapter. It was nice to have someone as interested in the book as her for once, and Luz also felt happy whenever she saw this side of Amity, the goofy, nerdy side.

Luz was worried Willow and Gus would be suspicious of Amity talking with her so much, but the two were thankfully distracted by their own activities. Willow was doing just as much memorization in floriculture as Luz was in vet science, and Gus had finally started color guard, leaving him practicing his own routine. Combined with regular schoolwork and their personal lives, Luz could confidently say that they were all exhausted.

It was all worth it by the end of the week though. On Friday, everyone was excited for the competition tomorrow, and the class was spent going over last-minute memorization and talking about official dress. Viney was adamant that they all should wear black boots ‘to match,’ and Luz was glad she had an old pair of combat boots at home. Then there were rides.

“Me and Barcus are riding together with Jerbo, so we're both good. What about you two?” Viney questioned the two younger classmen. “Amity, I assume you're going with the twins?”

“Yup, unfortunately.”

“Good. What about you, Luz?”

“Oh, probably just Eda.” She shrugged, slightly disappointed. She had tried to get a ride with one of her friends, but Willow had to help her dads in the morning and could only come right before the floriculture tournament, and Gus couldn’t make the tournament at all because of color guard.

Viney frowned. “Well, that's no fun. Your first event should be memorable.” The senior pondered for a bit, before her eyes fell on Amity. “Why don’t the two of you carpool together? You are friends, right?”

Luz was surprised at the suggestion, she hadn’t even considered going with the other girl. But Amity obviously liked the idea, turning to Luz. “How about it, city-slicker?”

Luz rubbed the back of her head. “Are you sure? Ed and Em won’t mind?”

“They can deal with me if they wanna make a fuss. Come on, it’ll be fun! We can study on the way over.”

Luz only had to look at the pleading expression in Amity’s eyes for a second before her mind was settled. “Ok, sure!”

“Then it’s settled,” Viney declared, just as the bell rang. “See you guys tomorrow! And remember, be there at six o’clock sharp! And wear black boots!"

Everyone scurried off to enjoy their Friday evening, leaving Luz alone as she packed up her stuff. She felt giddy, both for the competition, and riding there with Amity. She was sure Eda wouldn’t mind, and her mother would be ecstatic, seeing that she was going somewhere with friends. Luz felt like singing as she left to wait outside for Eda.

That giddiness was met with a sinking feeling when she found the scene outside though. Over closer to the other buildings of Hexside, Luz could see Willow face-to-face with Boscha. Gus was standing behind his friend, and, to Luz’s surprise, Amity was standing behind Boscha. The bully was saying something to Willow, and although Luz couldn’t make out what it was due to the distance, she could see her friend's hands clenched into fists.

Luz was about to go over when Boscha stopped, seemingly done with her taunts. She walked away, Amity trailing behind her, and Willow stopped towards the front of the school with Gus in tow. Luz felt knots in her stomach as she watched both pairs walk away. This wasn’t ok.

The next morning, Luz was up at four, groggily making breakfast and putting on her official dress. She made sure to wear her black boots, and slipped on her grandmother's old jacket. It surprisingly fit her very well, and Luz was thankful for the thick material as she waited outside for her ride, escaping the cold wind by sitting on the porch.

Her mother had been delighted to hear she was going with friends, and while Eda had acted hurt, she could tell the other woman was happy as well. Luz felt her own excitement swirling in her gut, although not all of it was positive.

The feeling only got stronger as the twins truck pulled up to the house, headlights cutting through the inky black of the fields. Luz picked up her small bag, full of snacks and her vet science guide, and took a deep breath before opening the car door.

She was thankfully met with a warm exterior, the heater cranked up to the max. The twins tiredly mumbled greetings from the front, both nursing large cups of coffee. The only one fully awake was Amity, who greeted Luz with a large smile as she hopped in.

“How ya doin’ city-slicker? Didn’t wake ya up too early did we?” Amity smirked as Emira brought the truck back to the main road, whispering so the twins wouldn’t hear her. Luz doubted they could hear anything, not with how exhausted they looked. But she still kept her voice low as she replied.

“Nah, I’m good. You should try getting woken up in the middle of the night by sirens outside your apartment.”

Amity chuckled. “No, thanks. I prefer my coyotes and cow bellows, thanks.”

Both giggled again, before falling quiet. Luz still felt the squirming in her stomach, the feeling only worsening as she stared out at the darkened fields that zipped by. She knew she would have to bite the bullet eventually, and finally decided the time was right when Edric turned on the radio, flipping through the channels. The noise would make it harder for the twins to eavesdrop.

“Hey, Amity?” Luz whispered, glancing over to the other girl. Amity turned to look at her expectantly, a smile still on her face. The warm expression was in contrast to Luz, who broke her gaze from Amity to look at the floor of the truck, eyebrows furrowing as she tried to come up with words. “Why didn’t you stop Boscha from picking on Willow and Gus yesterday? After class?”

There was a moment of silence, before Amity hesitantly replied. “I didn’t know ya saw that.”

“Well, I did.” Luz looked up to find Amity wearing a guilty look. Luz knew that this was awkward, and normally wouldn’t go for such a blunt approach, but she wasn’t going to let her first real friends get bullied. “Look, I know you and Boscha are friends, but Willow and Gus are  _ my  _ friends. I don’t want to see them get picked on, while you just stand by and do nothing.”

“Luz, I-”

“No, Amity. If you can’t tell Boscha to stop, then we-” Luz stopped herself from finishing that sentence, looking back down at the floor. She didn't  _ want  _ to say it, she liked hanging out with Amity. A lot. But she also cared for Willow and Gus.

Almost a full minute passed in silence until Amity did something. Luz didn’t look up when she felt her hand softly be clasped in a much bigger, rougher one. But she did when Amity began to talk, and she was met with the same face she had that morning, the determination evident in those golden eyes.

“Luz, I promise I won’t let Boscha pick on yur friends anymore. I’m sorry I didn’t do something about it sooner, but I swear on my life it won’t happen again when I’m around.”

Amity was surprised when Luz suddenly tugged her into a hug. It was awkward, with the seatbelts in the way, and Luz could feel the other girl tense up at the sudden contact. She was just thankful Amity couldn’t see the slight blush that came to her face, and the dampness in her eyes that was quickly blinked away.

“Thank you, Amity.”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the wait! Hope this longer chapter is to your guy's liking!
> 
> It was a busy month for me, with college applications, school, and work, plus I also joined a D&D game, which has been fun. But its Thanksgiving break, so I hammered out his chapter for ya guys. I finally got to make the boot joke I've been wanting to, although the punchline doesn't come till next chapter. Also, lots of lumity bits, which are fun to write, cause I like figuring out smooth lines for Amity.
> 
> I was wondering if you guys would be interested in little one-shot stories from this AU? They wouldn't be super spoiler-y, and wouldn't be updated as regularly, but I think they would be fun to flesh out the world a bit more (also I really want to write a story based on onionrinqz BBD comic but fjdkf)
> 
> And, as always, GO CHECK OUT ONIONRINQZ AND IMAMWOLF, they are the ones who originally came up with this AU, and onionrinqz makes amazing art. If you want more Barnowl Au content, go there.
> 
> I jumped the gun last week, but here's all the drawings they made fore last chapter! That Boscha is especially   
> 👌


	9. It's a Start

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, it's Christmas Eve and I wanted to get this done for y'all as a present, but I don't have time to edit, so I'll come back and fix up any mistakes in a few days. Sorry in advance for any errors!
> 
> Edit 1/17 - What, me, finally editing this almost a month later? No..  
> Sorry for such a late update, I know most won't probably see this, but if ya do here's a sneak peek! I had to rewrite the outlines for the last couple of chapters since the fic has evolved more as I've written it, but everything's planned out now! I'll start writing the next chapter this week, hopefully it'll be out sometime on the weekend, but no promises.

The whole morning had gone by in a flash as soon as she and the Blights had arrived. The twins had run off to the horse judging area, mumbling something about how Boscha would have their heads if they were late. That left Luz and Amity by themselves, the former being very nervous. The school was packed with students and parents, almost everyone wearing FFA uniforms and reviewing for their events. Everyone was packed into a small gym, and even with the bleachers stacked full of students, there were still tons of people all over. Luz had never experienced anything like this, even when she lived in the city, and while she was excited about the competition she couldn’t help sticking close to Amity. 

Luckily, Barcus and Viney spotted them in the crowd. Luz was glad when Viney took charge in leading them and getting them signed into the vet science competition. As they fought for a spot on the bleachers, their team leader began passing out papers and clipboards to them, a determined look on her face.

“Alright guys, first competition time! We got this! You should know how this goes by now,” Viney started, slapping her clipboard to emphasize her words. “We’re all gonna split up for our events, so this is the last time we’ll talk to each other before it starts. I want everyone to try their hardest. Barcus, don’t forget to actually talk during your practicums. Amity, you better do really well on the cattle identification to score us some extra points! And Luz… why are you wearing those boots?”

The group then spent the next five minutes freaking out over Luz’s footwear, and hoping that the judges wouldn’t notice it. Luz wished that she had worn slacks instead of a skirt for her dress, and also that Viney had been more specific over what type of boots they were supposed to wear. But they couldn’t do anything about it, especially since the opening ceremony then started. 

As Glandus’ chapter president stood up and began his opening speech, Luz couldn’t help but fidget with her clothes. She was even more nervous than before, and she almost wished she wasn’t here, messing stuff up for everybody. She was the worst at all of the vet science events, and now she couldn’t even get her shoes right. 

Just as she began to spiral, however, Luz suddenly felt a light tap on her leg. She looked down to find Amity’s hand placed on the bench, her pinky being the source of the touch. Amity was staring ahead at the speaker, acting like she was paying attention, but her finger gave Luz another little poke. Luz could already feel the blush coming as she realized what Amity wanted, but it didn’t stop her from letting go of her jacket and placing her hand down on the bench next to Amity’s. 

Luz tried to mimic Amity and pay attention to the speaker, but it was hard when she felt that same pinky gently poke her again, slowly moving until the rough fingers gently held her own. Luz spared a glance down at their now intertwined hands, the tips of her ears burning at such a simple act. A quick glance at Amity revealed that she was looking ahead just like before, although now she wore a small smile.

Luz was still jittery when the opening ceremony finally ended, but she had stopped panicking. She took a deep breath before heading off with her group, giving her team a thumbs up as they parted ways. Luz was ready to compete.

And what a competition it was. It took all morning to get through the event, and unluckily for Luz, she got stuck with her break period right at the end of the event, meaning she had to do the breed identification, the general knowledge test, and practicums one after the other. All the while trying to hide her boots so she wouldn’t get penalized. By the time she was finished, Luz was so tired that she didn't even care when the proctor watching them said they could leave early to wait for the rest of their teams.

Luz had sat down in the first empty seat she could find in the hall, and let out a relieved sigh. She was glad for the break and loosened her scarf a bit before pulling out her phone. She had a text from her mother saying good luck, and a couple from her group chat with Gus and Willow. Willow had arrived at the competition not long after Luz, and she was in her own event right now, but Luz still sent her a text, saying that they should meet up when they were done.

She tried to get comfortable in her seat, expecting that she’d have to wait a while for everyone else to finish. Luz didn’t expect the sudden smack on her shoulder, and whipped around only to smile.

“Eda!” Luz hopped up, hugging the woman. Eda chuckled, giving her an awkward pat on the back. The countrywoman still wasn’t used to Luz’s open displays of affection, but she was slowly warming up to them. When Luz finally let her go, she was glad to see that Eda had a small grin on her face.

“Glad to see that you're all done, kid. Where’s the rest of your team?” Eda glanced around, looking for the other teammates.

Luz shrugged. “They’re still competing. I got out early, so I was just waiting for them.”

“You're lucky, then. All the other teams are still at it too.” Eda leaned against the wall as Luz sat back down, crossing her arms. “Well, how do ya think ya did?”

“Mmmhh… ok! I mean, the practicums made me kinda nervous, but I think I did pretty good at the general knowledge part. And Amity and Viney showed me some tricks for breed identification, so that wasn’t  _ too _ hard.”

“Well, congrats kid.” Eda reached down to ruffle Luz’s hair, earning a half-hearted protest from the girl. “Wanna go celebrate with some lunch? Glandus may suck at almost everything, but they are situated near a pretty tasty burger joint.”

Luz frowned a bit, looking down the hall. “I don’t know. Shouldn’t I wait for the rest of my team?”

“Oh, come on. They still got half an hour to go at least,  _ and  _ they don’t even announce the contest winners till after lunch. Besides, I’m sure your friends wouldn’t mind if we picked them up something as well.”

Eda was right, she didn’t have much else to do besides waiting for her team. Luz sighed, rolling her eyes. “Fine, I  _ guess  _ we could go get lunch. Just let me send them a quick text first.”

“That’s the spirit! We have plenty of time!”

Despite their best efforts, they were late. Although Eda knew there  _ was  _ a burger joint nearby, she didn’t know  _ where.  _ Which was why she and Luz spent almost an hour looking for the restaurant in the strange town, only finding it after Luz asked some locals for directions. Then it was a mad rush to order and grab their food and run back to Glandus for the closing ceremony.

Eda took the food, telling Luz to go and find her friends. Luz agreed. and thankfully managed to get into the gymnasium right before the ceremony began. At first, she was panicked to see all the seats had been taken, but luck was on her side that day. Sitting near the edge of the bleachers was Willow, who spotted her late friend and waved her over. Luz slipped past the other audience members and sat down right as the speaker began.

“Where were you?” Willow hissed, scooting over so that her friend had more room. “Everyone sat down ten minutes ago.”

“I know, I know,” Luz tried to catch her breath from her run. A few students turned in their seats to shoot the two a glare, making the pair fall silent. The sound of the speaker droning on filled the hall, until Willow leaned over the whisper to Luz.

“Hey, I heard you rode here with Amity this morning. Did anything happen?” At the innocent question, Luz’s mind immediately went back to the earlier that morning in the gym, and she sputtered as she hurriedly answered.

“W-what? No, pshh, of course not! Just a regular ol’ car ride, ya-ya know?” She sheepishly rubbed her head as Willow raised an eyebrow, confused by the sputtering. “W-why do you ask?”

“Well, I just want to make sure you were ok. You know how Amity is. And also…” Willow looked around before leaning in to whisper in Luz’s ear. “She was acting weird today.”

Luz cocked her head. “Wait, really? How?”

“Well, before the ceremony she came up and asked me if I had seen you. I didn’t think much of it, figured Viney had told her to come ask me, and I told her no. But then…” Willow’s nose wrinkled as her eyebrows knit together, bewildered. “She… apologized?”

“Apologized? For what?”

“Well, first it was for something that happened yesterday.” Willow crossed her arms over her stomach, which prompted Luz to set a comforting hand on her friend's shoulder. “But then, she started talking about how she was sorry for bullying me all these years, and how she had a change of heart or something.”

That was the moment Luz remembered what she had said to Amity that morning in the car. She hadn’t expected Amity to actually go and apologize to Willow right away, but she felt a part of her light up and glow with pride. Maybe she could fix things between her crush and her friends.

That dream was quickly snuffed when Willow suddenly rolled her eyes and scoffed. “I almost walked away from her right then.”

Luz shook her head. “Wait, what? Why? She apologized!”

“Luz, an apology is just that. An apology. All it is are words. For all I know, she’s probably trying to trick me so she and Boscha can laugh at me.” Willow turned away to look back at the speaker, brows furrowed. “I believe her when I actually see her  _ do  _ something nice. Like that will ever happen.”

As the speaker finally got on with announcing the CDE winners, Luz turned to face him as well. Instead of feeling excited to see if her team had won, Luz felt like she was being pulled apart.

“Ahh, mija, estoy tan orgulloso de ti!” Camila squealed as soon as Luz and Eda arrived home. Luz tried to fend off her attacks, but eventually gave with a dramatic sigh, hugging her mother back.

“Third place ain’t too bad for your team's first competition,” Eda chimed in, ruffling Luz’s hair as she walked to the kitchen. “At least you guy’s beat out Glandus!”

“Yeah, yeah,” Luz giggled, giving her mom one last hug before heading upstairs. “Let me wash up and then I’ll tell you all about it, mami.”

As Luz stomped up the stairs, she heard the exciting chatter between her mother and Eda downstairs, celebrating her success. It had been amazing when the speaker announced that Hexside had placed in the top three for all the events they had competed in. Vet science had only gotten third, but horse judging placed second, while floriculture managed to snag first place. Willow and Viney both got first place in overall scores for their CDE events, which everyone congratulated them on. Except for Boscha, who was furious that she hadn’t beaten Willow.

She knew that she should be overjoyed at the schools and her friend's wins, but as she threw her jacket onto her bed, Luz couldn’t help but feel downtrodden. Willow's words had bothered her ever since the competition ended, to the point where she had ridden home with Eda instead of Amity. 

Logically, Luz knew that Willow had every right not to believe Amity. The two had been fighting long before Luz had shown up, and she knew Willow probably didn’t want to even chance becoming friends with Amity again. But Luz couldn’t help but feel disheartened knowing that her friends aren't friends. Especially since she didn’t want Willow and Gus to feel like she betrayed them somehow by being friends with Amity.

Flopping onto her bed, Luz sighed, pulling out her phone. There was a couple of texts from Gus congratulating her and Willow on their wins.

‘you guys did awesome!!! glad you beat Boscha Willow!’

‘Me too Gus. And good job on getting third place Luz!’

Luz smiled as she thought out a response. She could be happy for Willow at least. Maybe they could go celebrate tomorrow. Have a redo at the diner…

Suddenly, Luz sat up as an idea popped into her head. She almost squealed as she quickly typed out her response.

‘thanks willow :-) we should all get together and celebrate tomorrow. maybe at the diner?’

‘yeah!!! celebratory milkshakes!’

‘I don’t have anything tomorrow, so I’d be up for it!’

‘awsome! see ya there ;-))))’

Closing that group chat, Luz scrolled through her phone until she found the contact she was looking for, kicking her legs behind her.

‘hey Amity, good job at the comp today!’

She didn’t have to wait long before a response came, her screen lighting up.

‘Thanks Luz, you did pretty swell yourself ;)’

‘do ya wanna go celebrate tomorow? get lunch at the diner?’

Amity's next reply didn’t come for several minutes, and Luz started to worry until her phone buzzed again.

‘Sure, its a date’

Luz did a little dance by herself alone in her room, excited that her plan had worked. If she could just get her friends to sit down together for one second, she was sure she could manage to get them to get along with each other.

As she went back downstairs to eat dinner, Luz was sure that this was the best idea she had ever had. What could go wrong?

She made sure to get to the diner early and pick out a booth big enough for all of them. As she sipped her water and waited, Luz tapped out a rhythm on the tabletop with her hand. After sleeping on it, she was a little nervous about what the others would say when they realized they were all eating lunch together. She hoped Willow and Gus wouldn’t be too mad, or that Amity broke her promise, but only time would tell.

She didn’t have to wait long before the doorbell chimed, and Luz saw her friends come into the restaurant. From her spot, it looked like Willow and Gus tried to ignore Amity as they walked over, but that came increasingly harder to do when both parties realized they were walking to the same table. They all arrived slightly confused, with Willow looking particularly annoyed.

“Hey, you guys all made it!” Luz gave a forced smile, nervously swallowing. She could see the gears turning in everyone's heads as they tried to figure out what was going on. Willow was the first, and she took a big breath before speaking.

“Luz, did you invite  _ all  _ of us to lunch?” Willow gave Amity a glare as she spoke, the taller girl wilting a little under the hard look.

“Uh, yup! Thought we could all celebrate together, y-ya know?”

Gus leaned towards Luz and hissed. “Celebrate with  _ Amity?  _ ”

“Yeah, come on! It’ll be fun!” Luz gave her best pleading look to Willow and Gus. She could see Amity out of the corner of her eye, and although she hadn’t said anything, she looked very uneasy with the whole situation. “Please?”

For a second, Luz thought Willow was going to walk away, dragging Gus along with her, and her whole plan would be ruined. But, as she pleaded internally, she saw her friend eventually give in, sighing. Willow sat down across from Luz, Gus sliding in nervously next to her. Amity hesitated for a moment before sitting next to Luz, slowly moving like a bomb might go off if she made a wrong move.

Luz internally sighed in relief, glad that the most difficult part was over. She called over a waitress to take their orders, watching her friends. Willow was looking out the window, making a point not to interact with Amity. Amity fiddled with the cuff of her jacket, looking like she wanted to disappear.

Only Gus, who was rapidly tapping on the table to keep himself calm, could Luz talk to. The two carried on a half-hearted conversation until their food arrived, whereupon everyone fell quiet as they silently ate their food. The tension was so thick Luz felt like she was suffocating, and regretted coming up with this idea at all.

So it was surprising when Amity nervously coughed, everyone's attention pulled to her. She was playing with the fries on her plate, avoiding eye contact. “So, uh, Willow. Heard ya got best score in floriculture.” 

“Ya, I did.” Willow's reply was flat, and she turned to look out the window again, making it apparent she didn’t want to talk to the other girl. Luz and Gus both winced at the icy response, and the table once again fell silent. Luz could feel Amity hunch up and let out a defeated sigh before moving to stand.

“Hey, Luz, thank ya for invitin’ me but I think I should-” Amity began. Luz wanted to reach out and stop her as soon as she got up to move, but both were interrupted by a hand slamming down on the table. Everyone was startled, and looked up to find none other than Boscha standing there.

“Hey, Ams.” Boscha wore a smug look on her face, but from her spot, Luz could see the repressed fury in her eyes. Never a good sign with the bully. “What are ya doing here hanging out with losers one, two, and three?”

Willow immediately snapped back, obviously not happy that another person she disliked had shown up. “Go away Boscha. No one even invited you, why are you here?” Luz wanted to know the same, she was sure Amity wouldn’t have invited the bully to tag along.

“Saw Amity’s car outside, and came in to get some lunch as well,” Boscha smirked, obviously enjoying the fact that they were stuck in their seats. Gus was trying his best to get as far away from the bully as he could, scooting closer to Willow, whose hands were curling into fists. “Didn't realize she had gotten both food and entertainment for us.”

Luz wanted to scream, this wasn’t going like she had planned at all. She was about to mouth off Boscha for ruining their meal when she was stopped by Amity suddenly shooting up from her seat. She did the same thing as Boscha, slamming her hand down on the table, but this time it got the whole restaurant's attention. 

There was a split second of silence as they all watched the scene unfold, Amity glaring down at Boscha. Luz couldn’t see Amity’s face from her angle, but she could see the terror spread across Boscha’s as the bully realized she had just fucked up.

“Why. Don’t ya.  _ Leave.”  _ The last word was practically a growl, and nobody dared utter a breath. Luz could see Boscha almost shaking as she cowered under Amity’s glare, before she suddenly stiffened. Boscha turned and left without uttering a word, trying to regain some sort of dignity as she fled the diner. 

The other patrons began their conversations again as Amity turned and sat back down at the table. She calmly picked up a few fries and began munching on them, while Luz, Gus, and Willow stared at her in shock. Amity kept on eating as if she hadn’t just told her supposed friend to basically piss off. Willow looked back down at her own plate, cautiously picking up her fork to eat her salad. Gus took a long sip of his drink, looking down at the tabletop.

Whatever tension was there before, it had dissipated, now replaced by something else. Luz couldn’t tell quite what it was, but it felt like a start. She was the first to speak again, picking up the desserts menu from where it had fallen on the table.

“Anybody want to order a milkshake?”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's finally here! Sorry for such a long wait, but its been a crazy month for me. I had finals and I've had to deal with the holidays like most other people, but I also had to study for a certified veterinary assistants test, and I thankfully passed! Which basically means, after I get a few more hours done and send in the paperwork, that I am a registered CVA! Plus, the vet clinic I was interning at wants to higher me, so I have that looking forward to me next year!
> 
> But enough about that, sorry for the wait! I hoped you guys enjoyed the chapter, and the FFA stuff wasn't too confusing. If ya didn't get how Viney got first place but her team only ranked third, at CDE events they determine the teams placing by combining the three highest scores from each team, and whichever team has the highest points wins. But they also award the highest scoring individual in the whole competition with a ribbon, so its possible for a team to have the highest scoring member, but not get first place if the rest of the team does badly (at least, that's how it is in vet science, I don't know about other CDE's but I applied it for the sake of consistency). Competition's are fun, but they also vary in how they run depending on where its held. Luz is lucky she didn't have to wait outside in the cold for an hour like I've had to do.
> 
> One final thing! I hope you all have a Happy Holidays, and stay safe this season! And if I don't finish the next chapter in time, have a happy new years! Hopefully 2021 will be better! :-)


	10. An Apple is A Lunch Fruit

I told you she was sorry!”

“Yeah, yeah, I get it. You were right.” Willow rolled her eyes, giggling as Luz stuck out her tongue. “But can you blame me for not believing her at first?” 

“No, not really.” Luz swung her legs back and forth, a grin stretched across her face. “But I can be glad that you guys don’t hate each other anymore.”

“And if Amity keeps her word, at least we won’t have Boscha picking on us anymore!” Gus chimed in, Luz’s enthusiasm contagious. 

The three were in the Ag. room, eating lunch as usual. Eda was out for once, saying that she had a ‘teachers meeting’ to attend to, but her car wasn’t in her parking spot like normal. Luz didn’t think much of it, but she did hope that Eda came back in time for class. She didn’t want a repeat of the last time she wasn’t there to pick Luz up.

But now wasn’t the time to worry about it. She had other things to think about, like teasing Willow and congratulating herself on her plan working. “Yeah! And know I don’t have to worry about my friends hating each other, so it's a win-win for everybody!”

Willow rolled her eyes and was about to say something when the three suddenly heard the classroom door open. It wasn’t a particularly exciting sound, but it was unusual, seeing that the trio and Eda were the only ones who usually came into the ag. room during lunch. And it was even weirder to find none other than Amity awkwardly standing in the doorway, hands coming up to tightly clutch the straps of her backpack as she met the surprised stares of Willow, Gus, and Luz.

“Amity!” Luz shot up, excitedly making her way over to her crush. It was an unexpected, but welcomed surprise to see the other girl, and as Amity seemed to feel the same, loosening her grip slightly. “What are you doing here? Decided to ditch your other friends today?”

“Kinda.” Amity smiled as Luz grabbed onto her arm, pulling her over to where Gus and Willow were still sitting. Her free arm came up to rub the back of her head, sheepishly standing in front of the group. “Don’t really wanna see Boscha after yesterday, and I know by now she already talked to the other girls, so I was wonderin’, if I could… sit with ya guys?”

There was a slight pause, and for a moment, Luz nervously looked over to Willow and Gus. She, of course, would have immediately said yes to having Amity sit with them, relishing at the thought of being able to hang out with all her friends at once. But she knew it wasn’t really up to her. For all the teasing and kidding around she had previously been doing, she knew Gus and Willow weren’t friends with Amity yet. They didn’t hate each other now, and they all liked Luz, but she didn’t know if Willow and Gus would actually want to hang out with the other girl.

Her panicked thoughts were quieted when Willow shrugged, and Gus beamed at Amity, scooting over to pat the table beside him. “Sure! You can sit over here!”

Luz could practically feel Amity relax as the tall girl gratefully smiled at Gus’s enthusiasm, plopping down beside him at the table. Luz was thankful for Gus’s cheerful personality, and couldn’t help but smile as he immediately started talking to Amity about some project in one of their shared classes. Amity looked initially surprised by his sudden enthusiasm, but it was quickly reciprocated as the two chatted.

Luz glanced over to Willow, seeing that the other girl was also watching the other two chat. The bespectacled girl had a slight smile on her face, and Luz could see a soft look behind her glasses. She couldn’t tell what Willow was thinking, but Luz was glad to see that she was happy. Everything seemed to have worked out.

The lunch period passed quickly by, and soon the bell rang. As students began to file in, Luz found herself glancing at the door. Eda still wasn’t back yet, and there was less than a minute left before the bell rang. It was unlike the countrywomen. Sure, Eda was generally lazy on the whole, but she was never late. And as the seconds ticked down, Luz felt worry gnaw at her gut. 

“Hey, you guys think Eda’s ok?” Luz turned towards her friends, grabbing at her sleeve to run a worried thumb over the material. “She’s never this late.”

“Miss Clawthorne?” Amity questioned, looking over towards the empty desk at the front of the class. “Don’t know why she wouldn’t be. Probably just gettin’ lunch or somethin.”

Willow stretched out an arm to give Luz’s shoulder a comforting squeeze. “It’s ok, Luz. She'll probably be back any sec-”

A loud slam instantly silenced the room, the school bell ringing at the same time. All heads turned to the door, where a muddied figure stood wheezing. The red hair gave away that it was Eda standing in the doorframe, along with King trotting in after her, equally as muddy. The students were silent as their teacher trudged to her desk, pulling off the bandana and pair of googles concealing her face. When she finally turned to face the class, Eda had a broad grin on her face, as if she didn’t just come in looking like a lunatic.

“Alright, kids, ya know the drill,” she announced, clapping her hands together and sending clods of dirt to the ground. “Amity, come on up here and give us the rundown. And don’t leave out anything about the competition! I love hearing about Glandus losing.”

Luz watched as Amity, ever the professional, stood up and walked to the front of the class. As she began to recount their wins and other FFA news to the class, Luz's focus was instead directed at Eda. The teacher had moved closer to the desks to give Amity room, and so while the class was distracted Luz quietly moved towards her.

When she was finally in range, Luz tugged on the women's flannel. Eda quickly turned to find the girl giving her a worried expression, and the corners of her mouth twitched down. Luz’s eyebrows knit together as she got a closer look at Eda, noticing that along with the dirt and mud, there were also scratches on the woman's hand and arms, her shirt even torn in some places.

“What happened to you?” Luz whispered, trying to avoid drawing attention from the rest of the class. Eda’s smile finally fell, and as she sighed, Luz could hear the exhaustion. The redhead ran a hand through her mane of hair, loosening some of the dirt that clung in it. “I was starting to worry.”

“Oh, kid, ya don’t have to worry about me,” Eda clucked, only to watch as the girl's eyebrows furrowing closer together, clearly not satisfied with the answer. The countrywoman sighed again, before putting an awkward hand on Luz’s shoulder. “Look, there’s things I gotta go deal with sometimes that don’t always pop up at the best moments-”

“Like the other week?” Luz interrupted, raising a brow. Eda winced, remembering the strongly-worded lecture she got from Camila for abandoning her daughter. 

“Yeah, sorta like that. And I know it's frustratin’, and worryin’, and I can’t tell ya what it is…” Eda squeezed Luz’s shoulder, kneeling down so she could look her in the eyes. “But I promise that I’m ok. If anythin’ bad really happened to me, I’ll tell you and your mom. Alright?”

The look on Eda’s face was the same as when Luz had found her in the barn, a mixture of guilt, regret, and expecting her apology to be rejected. And just like before, Luz could feel her stiffen in surprise as she suddenly hugged Eda. But this time, she gladly hugged back.

Luz couldn’t be mad at Eda. Despite all the teasing she did, all the wild schemes she roped Luz into, and all the worry she caused, Luz knew she could trust her. Eda was like family now. Luz knew it, and for all the arguing they did, she felt like her mother knew it too. And you trusted family.

The hug only lasted for a few seconds, and as Eda stood up, no one seemed to even notice. Amity was still talking about their competition at Glandus, and everyone seemed impressed with the group's wins. Even Boscha, who had been glaring at Amity ever since she had walked in the door, smirked as some of the classmates congratulated her.

When Amity was finally done and had sat back down, Eda once again went to the front to address the class. She cleared her throat, before dramatically heading pulling a giant wheeled whiteboard from behind her desk. Written on it were two words: GROUP PROJECT.

A groan rose up from the entire class.

“Alright, it's not that bad!” Eda rolled her eyes at the kids' dramatics, popping open a marker. She began to write on the board as she addressed the class, messy handwriting barely readable.

“Even though most of ya have other classes like welding or floriculture that have count as agriculture grades already, some of ya don’t. This project is for those people.” Luz felt Gus nudge her with his elbow, hitting him back. They were both part of said group. Willow did floriculture class, of course, and Luz remembered Amity saying how since she was Chapter President, her leadership class somehow counted, but she and Gus only really had this class to put them as FFA members.

“I want ya to break inta’ groups of four,” Eda continued. “Each groups gonna pick some sort of agriculture product- could be a crop, livestock, machinery- and your gonna research it, then present it to the class. Easy enough. Only three rules. Each group has to represent a  _ different _ product, y'all got to talk when your presenting, and everyone has to contribute in some way.”

As Eda neared the end of her speech, she turned around to look at the class, capping the pen. “This is one of the few assignments ya have to do in this class. It’s graded on how much effort I think ya put in, and at the end, there’ll be a group revue. Now if there's no questions-” the class was silent. “-come on up, write who’s in your group, and what you're doing! Projects due Friday!”

Luz almost squealed. While she had dreaded group projects in the past, on account of having no friends to do them with, that was no longer the case. In fact, this project had come at the best time. 

What better way to get Willow, Gus, and Amity closer than working on a mandatory group project?

Luz turned to her friends, already finding Gus and Willow talking. Amity seemed to be looking over towards Boscha and her other friends, grimacing at the thought of working with them. She had to work fast.

“Gus, Willow, Amity!” Luz leaned in towards her friends, drumming on the tabletop to center their attention. The three immediately turned to their enthusiastic friend, who had already pulled up her bag and was digging through it, looking for a marker. “Decide on a subject, quick! Before the good ones are taken!”

“Uh, cattle?” Amity answered out of instinct, saying the first thing that popped into her mind. 

Willow answered right after. "Bouquet flowers?”

“Apples!” Gus chirped. Amity and Willow gave him a puzzled look at his random answer, to which he just shrugged. “You guys picked what you liked, and I picked what I like. And I like apples.”

Luz, after successfully finding a marker, pondered over her friend's suggestions. Both Amity and Willow had picked something they were really interested in. What they needed was a neutral option, so they could all bond over it. And since Luz hadn’t thought of anything herself, that meant…

“Apples it is!” Luz smiled, walking over to write their names on the board.

They spent the rest of the class starting their research. Luz took the liberty of making a group chat for everyone, while Amity had pulled out her laptop and started compiling info. By the end of class, they had gotten a good head start. Willow, to Luz’s glee, even suggested that they all meet again at lunch tomorrow to work.

The only trouble came as they were saying their goodbyes. Luz, of course, gave both Gus and Willow a goodbye hug, as was custom. And, of course, gave one to Amity as well, so she wouldn’t feel left out. What she didn’t expect was the hug back. 

The last time she had hugged Amity, it had been quick, and somewhat awkward as there had been seat belts in the way. Luz expected Amity to stiffen up like last time, which she did, but she wasn’t prepared for the others' arms wrapping around her soon after. Luz felt the familiar sensation of her face turning red as she remembered, ‘Oh, ya, I have a huge crush on Amity. And she is currently hugging me with her very big, very strong arms’.

Luz was disappointed when the hug ended, both because of the pleasant butterflies that it brought to her stomach, and because her blush had been hidden. Luckily, Amity had quickly turned to leave, giving a grin and a wave as she ran to catch up with her siblings. Luz enthusiastically returned the gesture, giggling as she watched the other girl run away.

Luz didn’t notice the questioning look Willow shot at her.

The next day at lunch, there were an extra two attendees. 

Luz, Willow, and Gus had gotten to the classroom first, laptops and papers out, ready to work. They had just begun when they heard the door open, and they turned, expecting the fourth member of their group ready to work. Instead, they were met with an exasperated looking Amity, trailed by both her siblings.

“Howdy, cuties!” Edric and Emira chimed together, sauntering ahead of their sister to pose in front of the table. Gus gave a friendly wave, while Willow was just surprised at the sudden appearance of the blonde twins, turning to give Amity a questioning look as she came to stand by the table.

“Sorry, guys, I tried to get them to leave, but they have selective hearin’, it seems,” Amity sighed, pushing past her siblings so she could sit down. Her cold shoulder seemed to be ineffective, however, as Edric just leaned on her, resting his arm on her head.

“Aw, can’t we just hang out with our baby sister, for once?” Edric mockingly cooed, expertly avoiding the punch Amity tried to give him from her seat.

“Yeah, Mittens,” Emira joined in, throwing her arm around Luz’s shoulder. Luz could see the clouds of anger beginning to roll in over Amity as the brunette glared at her sister. “We wanted to see your new friends since you're not hanging out with Boscha anymore.”

Luz, ever the optimist, tried to diffuse the situation before the mention of Boscha or the twins teasing made her crush even madder. “Oh, come on Amity. It’s ok if they stay, I’m sure they have their project to work on too!”

At the mention of work, the twins' grins dropped a little. Amity, seeing her chance, glared at the two. “Fine. Ya can only stay if ya work on your own project.”

Edric and Emira groaned a bit at that, but thanks to Luz’s pleading, and a shout from Eda to ‘quiet down’, they eventually agreed, allowing the younger classmen to get back to work. Gus was eager to talk with them, as he did some activities with them in Colorguard. The twins, taking the chance to not work, chatted throughout lunch.

Even after they stopped teasing her, Luz could still see that Amity was flustered having the twins there. She glanced over to find the other girl huffing, not able to focus on her work. Luz was at a loss at what to do to comfort her friend until an idea popped into her head.

Discreetly scooting her chair closer to her, Luz dropped the arm closest to Amity to her side. Mimicking what she had done at the tournament, Luz gently poked her leg. Amity, who had been roughly erasing her paper, suddenly froze. There was a still moment, and Luz wondered if she made a mistake, before Amity slowly drew her own arm back, letting her hand fall underneath the table.

It took a few tries since she wasn’t looking, but Amity’s hand eventually found Luz’s, rough fingers intertwining with the city-slickers' softer ones. Like before, the two tried to be discreet, working on their parts of the assignment diligently. But a faint dusting of pink on both their cheeks told the truth.

The next day, it was Skara who came uninvited. She pleaded to Amity, saying how unbearable Boscha had become lately. Surprisingly, it was Willow who seemed eager to let the girl eat with them. When Luz had asked her why later, she was surprised to see ever the slightest blush on her friend's cheeks. Willow stammered something about getting to know her on the floriculture team, and how she really was nice when she wasn’t with Boscha. In the end, Skara joined them and proved to be a great source of music to listen to while they worked, since she had a portable speaker in her bag. She had been in a similar situation to Amity, forced to hang around Boscha by her parents. Amity sympathized and accepted her back into her friend group.

The day after that, it was Jerbo, Viney, and Barcus. Admittedly, they hadn’t come to hang out, but rather, ask Eda a question about the assignment. But the twins had popped their heads up as soon as the group had entered, going over to talk to them. They returned only minutes later, Emira with an arm slung over Viney’s shoulders, announcing that the three would be joining the lunch group. Everybody seemed fine with that, and the lunch group grew once more.

It was on Friday when trouble sparked up. Lunch was practically over, and everyone was taking the time to practice their presentations. Luz was putting the finishing touches on their apple-shaped board, making sure all the info was there. The twins were dramatically reciting the script for their talk about chickens, and everyone else was going over notes. It was a peaceful moment, or as peaceful as you could get with so many students together. Eda had gone out to grab the papers for grading, and everyone was waiting for the bell to ring.

Luz didn’t even look up when the door opened, focused on her project. Only when she felt a sudden crushing grip on her shoulder did she attempt to turn around, yelping in pain. The hand stayed firmly attached, nails digging into her shoulder as she turned. In the back of her mind, she was dimly aware that everyone had suddenly fallen silent, but she could only focus on the cold blues eyes that were glaring at her as she turned, framed by strawberry blonde hair.

Boscha.

A mean chuckle rose from the bully as she looked at everyone, a sneer forming. “Well, seems we got a lovely little lunchtime study club goin' on here, don’t we?”

“What do you want, Boscha?” Willow snapped, shoving back her chair to stand. Luz felt the bully’s nails dig into her shoulder again, causing her to wince. Amity stood up then as well, anger plastered on her face.

“What, can’t come to gawk at the nerds? Although, I must say,” Boscha chuckled, eyes scanning the group, glaring in particular at Skara, who lowered her eyes from where she sat beside Willow, and the twins, who simply returned the look. “There’s a surprising number of you.”

“Can’t you leave us alone, and go do something useful for once?” Luz huffed, bringing an arm up to try and pry Boscha’s grip off her. It was unsuccessful, however, as Boscha simply pulled Luz around to face her once again, anger glinting in her eyes as she gave a wide grin to the other girl.

“Making fun of you guys, and making sure you know your place at the  _ bottom  _ of the social period is me being useful, hun.”

Luz felt those nails begin to dig into her shoulder once again before they were suddenly ripped away. Luz stumbled back, glad for the freedom, to see that her savior was none other than Amity. The tall girl was tightly clenching Boscha’s wrist, pulling her away from Luz and pushing her back as she let go. Boscha was stunned for a second by the quick movement, but a snarl soon appeared, attention focused solely on Amity.

“What the fuck is wrong with you, Blight?” Boscha spat, walking up to yell in Amity’s face. Everyone watched in shock as the bully’s arm started to reel back, words still flying from her mouth. “Ever since that stupid city-bitch got here, you’ve been a real ass, you know? Matter of fact, I’d say you've gone SOFT!”

Boscha’s fist flew, and a sharp crack echoed throughout the classroom. Everyone gasped as Amity’s head was knocked back, and she took a step backwards to steady herself. There was a moment of quiet, as Amity stood still and Boscha huffed as she brought her fist back down. Luz could feel the anger mounting in herself and the large group, Willow already taking a step forward. But they were stopped from charging as Amity suddenly brought a hand up.

She wiped her nose, pulling back to reveal shiny red covering her fingers. Luz let out another small gasp, bringing a hand to cover up her mouth in shock. Amity simply contemplated the blood for a few seconds, before turning to look at Boscha. 

From where she stood, Luz could see Amity’s face. Back at the diner, Luz didn’t understand why Boscha had been so scared from a few simple words. But now, as she watched Amity’s expression change, she could see why. The girl normally didn't bother hiding her emotions, whatever they might be. Now, it looked as if she wore a mask, blood dripping from her quickly bruising nose. The look in her eyes was one of what could only be described as pure, pissed-off anger, directed directly at Boscha.

“I’ll tell ya again, since ya didn’t seem to understand the first time,” Amity rasped, a hand roughly grabbing the collar of Boscha’s jacket. She had frozen again, like the diner, but this time Luz felt the same way, despite being an innocent bystander. Amity's cool anger leaked off her, silencing everyone in the room.

“These people here are my friends. My  _ real  _ friends. Not some shitty excuse for one like you were. Any if you lay a single finger on  _ any  _ of them after this…” Amity began to slowly walk to the door, dragging Boscha along with her like a dog held by the scruff. She kicked open the door with her foot and brought Boscha up so she could look her in the eye one last time. 

“I won’t hesitate in making sure your life is hell.”

And with that, Amity practically threw Boscha out, letting the door swing slowly closed. The room was dead silent, as everyone processed the scene that had just unfolded in front of them. The twins were the ones who broke it first, quietly murmuring their worries to each other. That triggered everyone else to do the same, hushed whispers laced with worry and shock.

Luz slowly walked up to Amity, who still stood unmoving by the door. Her back was to Luz, and as the smaller girl brought a hand up to carefully rest it on her shoulder, she could feel Amity flinch. Luz watched with sorrowful eyes as her friend turned around, blood still dripping from her nose, staining her shirt. It mixed with the blood that came from silent tears, a whole drippy mess covering her face.

Luz didn’t care if she got dirty as she brought Amity into a hug, holding her weeping friend close.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Remember when I said I'd try to post more? 
> 
> Anyways, its finally here! First chapter update of the new year. Sorry I made everyone wait until February, but like I've said before, I've been pretty busy with a new job and school. But, I'm doing my best!
> 
> In other news, I finally feel confident to share that I have a tumblr now. I used to have one along time ago, but I deleted it cause I was done with social media at the time. But I have one again! Theres not a lot since I haven't posted much, and it will inevitably turn into a jumble of whatever my interests are, but I'm [possum-down](https://possum-down.tumblr.com/) on there too! Feel free to interact, if ya'd like.
> 
> Also, thank you to all the people who like and leave comments. I don't reply to all of them, but I'd like to say you all are very sweet, and I'm glad my dumb writing makes you happy :^)

**Author's Note:**

> Any criticism would be appreciated on this work, btw. I know my writing ain't perfect by far.


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